Half of UK TV and film staff are unemployed a year after Hollywood strikes, survey reveals | Business News

A major survey of TV and film workers in the UK has found that more than half are still unemployed a year after the Hollywood strikes.

Media and entertainment union Bectu said more people than ever are also considering leaving the industry amid a “drought” in available projects.

Its survey of more than 2,300 workers revealed that 52% were unemployed, with just 6% reporting that they had returned to normal work levels.

Around 38% said they plan to leave the sector in the next five years.

It takes place on the first anniversary of actors joining writers on strike in the US, paralyzing much of Hollywood.

Industrial action has caused the production of many TV shows and films to stopwith awards ceremonies and film premieres also disrupted.

There were no strikes in the UK, but the country’s creative industries were severely hit by the ripple effects, as many Hollywood productions rely on British studios and staff.

The dispute, over issues including payment for streaming services and the unauthorized use of images using artificial intelligence (AI), came to an end in autumn after unions SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America signed new agreements with industry bosses.

However, Philippa Childs, head of Bectu, said the UK entertainment industry has not yet recovered.

She said: “The film and TV workforce has already faced incredible and unprecedented hardship during and after the pandemic and has now been hit by a second crisis that shows little sign of abating.

“There has been a lot of discussion about the state of the industry over the past year – about strikes in the US, a drop in advertising revenue and reduced commissions.

“It is clear that little has materially improved for the workforce and these discussions must be focused on how we can collectively improve things for workers, who are essential to the success of the sector but continue to bear the brunt of change in the industry.”

Read more about business:
Evri will hire 9,000 new employees
Royal Mail bidder holds talks over £3.6bn deal
Mortgage market ‘robust’ ahead of rate decision

The union quoted a producer, who wished to remain anonymous, who said: “I’ve never struggled to find work like this in 25 years. I’ve had nothing in 7 months. I feel used and discarded.”

An editor added: “The worst part is [there is] no communication about future prospects. I have no idea if the industry has changed permanently or if the problem is temporary.”

Four in five of those surveyed said they had faced financial difficulties due to challenges finding work.

Those from ethnic minorities, as well as people with disabilities, were also more likely to be unemployed, the survey found.

Ms Childs said her union has been holding “regular discussions with UK broadcasters and other stakeholders” to improve the situation for UK-based workers.

She added: “Our findings speak for themselves – if the industry doesn’t take tangible, collective action soon, we will see a huge skills exodus and a further deterioration in industry diversity, alongside prolonged mental health challenges and debilitating financial hardship.” .

Industry workers, including actors Brian Cox, Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis, held a rally in London last year in solidarity with their US counterparts.

Protest participants said the issues of the Hollywood strikes were of concern to industry workers around the world.