Thu Jan 30 09:53:03 UTC 2025: **Kerala Makeup Artists End Hunger Strike After Union Promises**
KOCHI, January 30, 2025 – A two-day hunger strike by three women makeup artists in Kerala ended Thursday afternoon following negotiations with labor officials and representatives of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA). The artists, members of the All Kerala Cine Makeup Artists and Hairstylists (AKCMH), protested the alleged inaction of their union leadership regarding several issues, including the expulsion of members who testified before the Hema Committee investigating exploitation in the Malayalam film industry.
Key demands included the removal of FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan and AKCMH secretary Pradeep Rangan. The artists also alleged the union’s failure to act against a member accused under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and claimed that a makeup artist lost her job after resisting sexual advances and reporting the incident.
The strike ended after assurances from labor officials and senior FEFKA representatives, including president Sibi Malayil and filmmaker Ranji Panicker, that their demands would be considered. These assurances were given in writing.
While Mr. Rangan stated that the union expelled the POCSO accused member after police action and that disciplinary action against another artist was due to repeated negative portrayals of the FEFKA general secretary, the artists maintain their claims of job discrimination. The situation highlights ongoing concerns about workplace safety and the treatment of women in the Malayalam film industry.
First Piper 