Government Introduces New Labour Framework to Strengthen Protections for Audio-Visual Workers

The Indian government has rolled out a major reform of labour protections aimed at improving working conditions for professionals in the audio-visual sector. The move seeks to enhance wages, safety standards, and job security for workers across film, television, digital media, and related creative fields.
The reforms stem from the consolidation of 29 existing labour laws into four Labour Codes, a shift that holds particular importance for the rapidly growing audio-visual industry. The sector has seen significant expansion in recent years due to the rise of OTT platforms, digital content creation, dubbing services, and high-risk stunt-based productions.
One of the key changes under the new framework is the replacement of the earlier term “cine workers” with a broader classification of “audio-visual workers.” This expanded definition brings a wider range of professionals—such as digital content creators, electronic media journalists, dubbing artists, and stunt performers—under formal labour protections. These include access to social security benefits, regulated working conditions, and standardised safety norms.
The new regulations require employers to issue formal appointment letters clearly outlining employment terms, wages, and applicable social security benefits. Employers must also provide wage slips in physical or electronic form to promote transparency. In addition, the time limit for filing labour-related claims has been extended to three years, allowing workers more time to seek legal remedies.
Wage-related safeguards have been strengthened significantly. Minimum wages will now apply to all categories of employment, removing earlier limitations that restricted coverage to specific scheduled jobs. A national floor wage, to be revised periodically, will serve as a baseline across states to help reduce wage disparities. The Labour Codes also mandate strict timelines for wage payments. Any overtime work will require employee consent and must be compensated at a rate of at least twice the normal wage.
The reforms increase accountability for producers in cases where contractors fail to pay wages, removing earlier wage-ceiling restrictions and extending protections to a larger segment of the workforce. Eligible audio-visual workers will continue to receive annual bonuses of up to 20 per cent, subject to wage limits specified by the government.
These changes mark a significant step toward formalising employment conditions in India’s audio-visual industry and addressing long-standing concerns around wages, safety, and job security.

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