India pic crews on strike

By REUTERS

BOMBAY -- The huge film industry of India has been plunged into crisis by a production crew strike that has halted filming here since Nov. 5, officials said.

Bombay, capital of Maharashtra, every year produces up to 300 of India's 800 films, the most made by any country in the world.

The industry employs close to 90,000 people in Bombay.

Govind Swarup, cultural secretary in charge of the industry for the Maharashtra state government, said that the 40,000 strikers included technicians , musicians and set workers and that they were demanding wage hikes of 15%-30%.

Official Shashank Jare said the producers were offering a 15% increase for those earning up to 200 rupees ($ 6.37) per shift on a movie set, but the workers had demanded a 30% hike. The producers offered a 10% rise for those earning above 300 rupees a shift, although 20% had been demanded. A shift lasts eight hours.