Half of UK TV and film staff out of work a year on from Hollywood strikes, poll finds | Business News

A major survey of TV and film staff in the UK has found that more than half are still out of work a year on from the Hollywood strikes.

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

Its poll of more than 2,300 workers found that 52% were unemployed, with only 6% reporting they were back to normal levels of work.

Some 38% said they planned to leave the sector in the next five years.

It comes on the first anniversary of actors joining writers in going on strike in the US, bringing much of Hollywood to a standstill.

The industrial action caused the production of many TV shows and films to grind to a halt, with award ceremonies and movie premieres also disrupted.

Strikes were not held in the UK, but the country’s creative industries were severely hit by the knock-on effects, as many Hollywood productions rely on British studios and staff.

The dispute, over issues including pay from streaming services and the unauthorised use of images via artificial intelligence (AI), came to an end in the autumn after unions SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America signed new deals with industry bosses.

However, Philippa Childs, the head of Bectu, said the UK’s entertainment industry had still not recovered.

She said: “The film and TV workforce has already faced incredible and unprecedented hardships throughout and following the pandemic and have now been hit by a second crisis that shows little signs 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 downturn in ad revenue, and reduced commissioning.

“Clearly, little has materially improved for the workforce and these discussions must be laser-focused on how we can collectively make things better for workers, who are critical to the sector’s success but continue to bear the brunt of industry changes.”

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

An editor added: “The worst part is [there is] no communication on future outlook. No idea if the industry is permanently changed or the issue is temporary.”

Four in five of those polled said they had faced financial difficulties as a result of the challenges in finding work.

Those from an ethnic minority background, as well as disabled people, were also more likely to be out of work, the survey found.

Ms Childs said her union had 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 and 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 difficulties.”

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

Those at the protest said the issues in the Hollywood strikes were of concern for industry workers around the world.