British legislation on the right to strike is one of the most draconian in Europe. It prohibits British actors from joining, in solidarity, their American counterparts, who are paralyzing filming in Hollywood. But the Equity union, which represents the profession across the Channel, is determined to show its support.
The organization, which brings together 50,000 artists, has called on its members (actors, dancers, directors, etc.) to parade this Friday, July 21 in Manchester and London from 1 p.m. French time. “Victory to our friends at the American Actors Guild, SAG-AFTRA. Our sister union is on strike in the United States and is fighting for a fair contract. They face the same problems we face here in the UK. Join us in showing our solidarity, and showing the bosses that the unions are ready to win this fight!” Equity urged on its social media.
The gathering places were not chosen at random. In London, protesters will gather around Leicester Square where there are several multiplexes often used for premieres of Hollywood blockbusters. In Manchester, protesters will gather in the Media City area, where BBC public television has major studios.
“We will not tolerate the UK becoming a back door to break or undermine the strike that is taking place in the US,” Equity pleads. Due to UK strike laws, the union has had to recall that any SAG-AFTRA member working across the Channel under a contract governed by the Equity Collective Agreement must meet their obligations and cannot go on strike.
On strike since Friday, the American actors’ union has joined the movement initiated by the screenwriters’ guild (the WGA). Among the main demands, the question of “residual” remuneration for actors and screenwriters. They arise from each rerun of a film or series and allow them to live between two projects. Interesting with television because calculated according to the price of advertisements, these emoluments are much lower with streaming platforms, which do not communicate their audience figures and pay a flat rate, regardless of the success of the program. At stake is also the use of artificial intelligence to aggregate a performance ex nihilo, once the performer’s voice and physical appearance have been recorded.
