The advisory, issued by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department on Thursday, covers film, television, OTT platforms , web series and digital content productions undertaken wholly or partly in the state, irrespective of the language of production. The West Bengal government has issued an advisory aimed at ensuring fair wages, reasonable working hours, safety and professional dignity for artistes, technicians and other workers in the film and entertainment industry.
The government has also advised producers “to ensure transparent wage structures and timely payment of remuneration, overtime dues and other contractual entitlements. For television serials, an eight-hour shift with up to four additional hours has been proposed.
A senior information and cultural affairs official said the move was aimed at streamlining the industry’s operations. “A key provision seeks to prevent guilds, federations and associations from making membership cards or affiliation mandatory for securing professional assignments, stating that no eligible artist or technician should be denied work solely for not belonging to a particular association,” the official said. Written contracts or engagement orders specifying remuneration, payment schedules, working hours and responsibilities should be executed before commencement of work, wherever practicable,” he said. Producers will retain the freedom to decide the number and composition of artists and technicians required for a production, based on its scale, budget and technical requirements, without being compelled to engage a predetermined minimum number of personnel by private associations, it said.
