Bectu’s survey reveals that more than one-third of the professionals now employed in the sector intend to leave their positions within the next five years.
A substantial survey of people working in the film and television industries in the United Kingdom revealed that more than half of them are still without jobs one year after the Hollywood strikes. The study was conducted within the context of the United Kingdom.
Because of a “drought” in potential projects, the union that represents the media and entertainment industry, Bectu, announced that more workers than ever before were considering leaving the field. This is a significant increase from previous years.
Only six percent of the more than two thousand and three hundred workers who participated in the poll stated that they had resumed their previous levels of employment. The results of the study showed that 52 percent of workers were without jobs.
38 percent of survey respondents stated that they intended to leave the industry within the next five years.
This comes on the first anniversary of the strike that writers and performers in the United States went on simultaneously, which resulted in a substantial chunk of the Hollywood business coming to a complete standstill.
The production of a large number of films and television shows came to a total halt as a direct consequence of the industrial action that took place. The situation also had a negative impact on film premieres and award ceremonies.
In spite of the fact that there were no strikes in the United Kingdom, the knock-on effects had a substantial impact on the creative sectors that were present in the country. This is due to the fact that a considerable percentage of Hollywood films are dependent on studios and producers in the United Kingdom.
This conflict, which had been going on for some time and involved concerns such as income from streaming services and the unlawful use of images through artificial intelligence (AI), was finally resolved in the fall of this year after the unions SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America inked new terms with the executives of the business.
Philippa Childs, the head of Bectu, stated that the entertainment industry in the United Kingdom has not yet recovered from the global financial crisis.
She made the following statement: “The workforce in the film and television industry has already been confronted with incredible and unprecedented challenges throughout and after the pandemic, and they have now been hit by a second crisis that shows little signs of abating.”
“Over the course of the past year, there has been a great deal of talk regarding the current state of the industry. We have heard about strikes in the United States, a decline in advertising revenue, and a reduction in 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.”
According to a producer who requested anonymity, the union cited the following statement: “In the past 25 years, I have never had such a difficult time finding work like this.” After seven months, I have not had anything at all. I have a sense of being discarded and used.
A further editor stated, “The most unfortunate aspect is that there is no communication regarding the future outlook.” I have no idea whether the industry is undergoing a change that is permanent or whether the problem is only temporary.
Out of those who were polled, four out of five reported that they had experienced financial difficulties as a direct result of the difficulty in finding a job.
People who were disabled and those who were from ethnic minority backgrounds were found to have a higher likelihood of being unemployed, according to the findings of the poll.
According to Ms. Childs, her union has been engaging in “regular discussions with UK broadcasters and other stakeholders” in an effort to improve the employment situation for workers based in the United Kingdom.
,She concluded by saying: “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.”
Actors Brian Cox, Simon Pegg, and Andy Serkis were among the industry workers who participated in a march in London in the previous year to show their support for their counterparts in the United States.
Those who participated in the demonstration stated that the issues that were being discussed in the Hollywood strikes were of importance to workers in the sector all over the world.