WCC proposes Cinema Code of Conduct

Women in Cinema Collective proposes Cinema Code of Conduct with mandatory employment contracts for all film industry employees.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has proposed a Cinema Code of Conduct, including mandatory employment contract for all employees in the field, in the wake of the K. Hema Committee report on various issues in the Malayalam film industry, including those faced by women.

The WCC released the first part of the proposed code that deals with contracts through its social media pages on Monday.

As per the code, there should be employment contracts for all film employees at all levels, specifying the film title, employer and employee details. The contract should specify the remuneration and payment terms, work profile, work term and the nature of credits that will be provided. Every contract should have a clause that deals with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) (POSH) Act, 2013.

The cast and crew should have film-industry-approved contract templates, as per the proposed code. There should be mechanisms to report breach of contract. Earlier, on September 7, the WCC had proposed the adoption of the Cinema Code of Conduct, initiating a discussion on the same. “To rebuild the Malayalam film industry as an equal and safe workspace for all, we are commencing a series today with our proposed recommendations. We hope all industry members will come together in open solidarity and spirit to adopt a Cinema Code of Conduct that will help transform our film industry onscreen and offscreen for the better,” the WCC had said in a Facebook post.