The Producer’s Guide to Unions in the UK Film and TV Industry
Behind the scenes of the UK film and TV industry, a network of unions and industry bodies work together to protect workers' rights, negotiate fair contracts, maintain industry standards and ensure that the UK remains a sought-after location for producers across the globe.
Ifyou’re looking to produce content in the UK,it’s essential that youfamiliarise yourselfwiththe UK union model. This is particularly true for US producers, as there are significantdifferences between the twojurisdictions(find out more about US unions here).
UK union model
While the UK film and TV industry isunionised, the structure is less rigid than in the US, with unionsrepresenting workers across multiple media and entertainmentindustriesrather than being segmented by specific roles.
The key UK unions are:
- ճ (Bectu): With approximately40,000 members,Bectu is one of the largest unions in the UK entertainment industry and represents a broad range of workers such ascamera operators,sound engineers, costume designers and many other behind-the-scenes roles.Bectu is known for its strong advocacy on issueslike fair pay, safe working conditions and access to training and development and has been involved innumerous campaigns and negotiations that have led to improved working conditions for its members, including securing industry-wide agreements on working hours and overtime pay.
- : As the professional association and collective managementorganisation for UK film and TV directors, Directors UKrepresents the creative,economic and contractual rights of directors across all genres and formats.
- : Founded in 1930, Equityrepresents actors, performers and other artists working in the film,TV and live performance sectors, including supporting artists. Equity has been instrumental inestablishing “Equity minimums”, which set the minimum pay rates for actors and supporting artists. Equity also provides legal support and negotiates collective bargaining agreements that cover everything from working hours to health and safety on set.
- ճ (FAA): A branch of Bectu that specificallyrepresents supporting artists. Working closely with Bectu, the FAA works to ensure that supporting artists receive fair pay, proper working conditions andappropriate recognition for their contributions.
- ճ (MU): Established back in 1893, the MU has a long history of safeguarding the rights of musicians, working across all genres and sectors, including those involved in film and TV production. As well as advocating for fair pay and recognition, the MU supports members with issues relating to contracts,copyright and licensing.
- ճ: Since its establishment in 1959, the Writers’ Guild has represented professional writers working across film, TV, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry,animation and video games. Among other things, the guild negotiates collective agreements with producers and broadcasters, ensuring that writers receiveappropriate credits and royalties for their work.
ճUKalsohasa number of influential industry bodies whichwork with the unions tomaintain the health and sustainability of the industry, including:
- ճ (Pact): Founded in 1991, Pact is the trade associationrepresenting the commercial interests of independent content producers in the UK’s film,TV and digital media industries. Pact plays a pivotal role in negotiating terms of trade with broadcasters and working with unions to ensure fair contracts for producers and their teams. It negotiates collective agreements with broadcasters and unions, ensuring that production teams are adequately compensated and that working conditions meet industry norms.
- ճ (PGGB): A leading membershiporganisationrepresenting the interests of production professionalsin various roles including productionmanagement, location management, assistant directing and post-production.As well as providing an availability service for production professionals looking for work orto crew up, PGGB regularly consults and advises on key production issues affecting theUK and offersbest-in-class training and extensive networking opportunities to supportmembers in progressing their careers.
Union membership guidelines
Membership in US unions oftenrequiresa certain amount of work experience or meeting specific criteria. Once in, the benefits aresubstantial, including strong legalprotections and support in case of disputes.
In addition, many US productions require union membership or at least adherence to union agreements, which can limit access to jobs for non-union members.
While UK unions still have requirements aroundwho can join, membership isgenerally more open, with a focus on supporting members through various stages of their career.
In addition,"closed shop unions” – whereby employers can only hire union members –.So,whereas USunions dictate that only union members arepermitted to work under a union contract –and that union members cannot work under a non-union contract –UKproductions are not bound to employ union members and unionagreements tend to act asguidelines for theindustry as a whole, not just union members.
Collective bargaining power
US unions have significant collective bargaining power, allowing them to negotiate extensive contracts that set industry standards for wages, working conditions, residuals, health benefits and pensions. These contracts are binding for all union members andoften influence non-union productions as well.
While UK unions do engage in collective bargaining, their influence isgenerally more collaborative.UK unions focus onstandardising conditions across the industry, but they may not always have the same level of enforcement power as US unions.As mentioned above, the agreements reached tend to be more flexible, withthe hope that employers“embrace and respect” the rates and guidance offered.
Key union agreementswhichcover pay and working practices in the UK film and TV industry are:
- The Pact/Bectu Major Motion Picture Agreement
- The Pact/Bectu Construction Agreement for Studio Film
- The Pact/Equity TV Agreement
Key considerations for producers when working with UK unions
ճvariousunions and industry bodies in the UK film and TVsectorare integral to its success, ensuring that the rights of workers and producers are protected andhelping tomaintain a stable and fair working environment.
While the UK union model is less rigid than in the US, there are some key considerations to keep in mind when producing content in the UK:
- Thereare numerous UK union agreements in place whichcover working conditions and pay for workers on film and TV productions. Although enforcement is less strict in the UK, these agreements are consideredtheindustry standard and aregenerally respected by UK productions.
- “Closed shop” unions (i.e., where employers can only hire union members) are illegal in the UK, soproductionsaren’t limited in their hiring choices.
- Membership in US unions—such astheScreen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) or the Directors Guild of America (DGA)—has nothing to do with nationality, andmany UK actors and ADs meet the eligibility requirements and belong to these unions. As such,you’ll need tomakesure thatyou’re paying these workers in line with the relevant US union agreement on your UKproduction.
- An experienced UK line producer can help you to ensureyou’reoperatingin accordance with industry standardsand paying fair and competitive ratesacross your production.
How EP can help you work with UK unions
Navigating the various union agreements that may apply to your UK productions can be complicated, but itdoesn’t have to be.At 鶹ֱ, we have experts with decades of experience and industry leading technology to make sure your production is well-equipped to navigate requirements and compliance challenges with ease. Our practical payroll, budgeting, and finance solutionsminimise manual work while helping your production stay in theunions’ good graces.Learn more about our solutions today.
This article contains general information we are providing on a subject that may be of interest to you. Nothing in this article should be considered tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult with your own advisorsregarding the applicability of this information to your specific circumstances.
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