The ground-breaking agreement with Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) is now live.
We're delighted to have finalised a series of major new additions to the Pact Equity TV agreement. The agreement sets out the minimum terms and conditions for artists working with independent production companies.
For the first time, the agreement includes provisions for child performers and terms governing Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) original commissions. It also includes a ground-breaking clause that producers must provide professional standard hair and make-up to all members of the cast, regardless of ethnicity.
The new agreement is the result of Equity's staff and Screen & New Media Committee working closely with the Personal Managers' Association and Co-operative Personal Management Association during the process of negotiations.
New additions to the agreement include:
- The SVOD terms now incorporated into the Pact Equity TV agreement cover commissions made for global platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, and local platforms such as UK Britbox.
- A new appendix to the agreement covers minors — artists from the age of 10 years old to school-leaving age — which finally brings Equity's child members under the remit of the Pact TV agreement. This arrangement mirrors the existing Cinema Films Agreement and will extend to children the protection the agreement already provides to adult artists.
- Importantly, the negotiations were also a chance for Equity to reach an agreement with Pact on an updated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Dignity at Work clause which now includes a provision for producers to provide professional standard hair and make-up to all members of the cast, regardless of ethnicity and culture.
- Other updates include the adoption of the previously agreed Covid provisions in the main body of the agreement, and the incorporation of agreed percentages and mechanisms to allow for certain pre-purchased rights to be extended beyond the initial 7 year period.
John Barclay, Assistant General Secretary, Film, TV, Radio and New Media, said:
"With global streamers displaying a growing appetite for British-made shows, and home-grown streaming services striving to compete, we have to ensure our agreements are responsive to the evolving TV landscape.
"The hard work of Officials, members of the Screen and New Media Committee, along with representatives of the Personal Managers Association and the Co-operative Personal Management Association, over many months has paid off and I am delighted that the TV agreement now has a structure in place to deal with SVOD commissions on both global and local platforms.
"We also took the opportunity to make other key improvements such as an appendix dealing with minors and a clause addressing the issues our members face accessing culturally sensitive hair and make-up on set".
The updated terms will apply to all productions which commence budgeting after 15 September 2021.
If you are an Equity member, you can log in to view the agreement.
What is the PACT Equity TV agreement?
The PACT Equity TV agreement sets out the minimum terms and conditions for artists working with independent production companies. It covers areas such as minimum fees, working time, overtime payments, holiday, additional use payments and pensions.
It's agreed between the Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) and Equity. Importantly, it enshrines the rights of performers to ongoing payments when their work is exploited beyond the initial usage through residually based payments and/or royalties or collective licences.
Equity works to improve the pay and conditions set out in the agreement every time it is renegotiated. It is negotiated by Equity Recorded Media Officials on behalf of members and under the direction of the Screen and New Media Committee.
If the terms and conditions set out in the agreement are not followed by the engager or employer, Equity will work to enforce them to protect workers rights. Both Equity members and non-Equity members can be engaged on the PACT Equity TV agreement. But it is only because of our members — 46,000 creatives and performers — that we are able to make these demands of producers. Together our voice is louder. Together we can build a fairer industry for everyone.
