Relations between UK broadcasting union Bectu and producer trade body Pact are plunging new depths as the union urges its members to reject Pact’s latest TV drama terms offer.
Pact set out the fresh terms in an attempt to solve the deadlock over the pair’s TV drama agreement last week but, in the last few minutes, Bectu Head Philippa Childs has called on thousands of members to turn the offer down due to its “not adequately stipulating the boundaries between working time and personal time, and lacking the detail and clarity necessary for our members to feel confident that their concerns have been addressed.”
“We have been clear from the beginning that the updated agreement needs to urgently address the long hours and wellbeing crisis our members are facing,” said Childs. “The current offer does not do that; many of the improvements only apply to shooting hours/days, devaluing work done outside filming hours, and there are loopholes that would allow productions to schedule around penalties.”
Members will be balloted on Wednesday and the ballot will close on Sunday July 31, with Pact agreeing to keep discussions open after the ballot.
Childs added that the union will continue discussions with Pact to “deliver an agreement that meets our objective of improving crew wellbeing and reducing excessive and unsociable hours, while supporting industry growth.”
Pact’s offer was met with “surprise” by Childs last week as it was sent to the press mere hours after being delivered to the union. That offer set out measures including scripted TV crew benefitting from shorter working days, additional pay for “prep and wrap”, unsocial hours payments, an increased overtime fee cap and bank holidays paid at double time.
The Bectu/Pact TV Drama Agreement is set to expire in a few weeks and, if negotiations fail, UK drama producers will no longer have a blanket set of terms to work from when setting contracts. The row has shades of the IATSE/AMPTP dispute late last year, in the U.S., which was eventually resolved.