At the BAFTA Games Awards last night (8 April), Equity called on video games bosses to improve pay, terms and conditions for performers.
Equity members gathered by the awards red carpet at the Southbank Centre where the BAFTA Games Awards took place. They waved Equity flags and held placards reading “Union contracts in gaming now!”, and leafletted awards attendees turning up on the red carpet alongside members of the public, chatting to them about the poor pay, terms and conditions performers working in the multi-billion pound games industry face.
“It is great to see the successes of the video games industry on show at the BAFTA Games Awards, and for the incredible achievements of its workforce to be celebrated across the categories – from performers, to designers, developers and more ,” says John Barclay, Equity’s Assistant General Secretary for Recorded Media. “But Equity is here to make sure the poor practice frequently reported by Equity members does not continue to be ignored by industry leaders. The video games industry is worth over £7bn in the UK alone and in attendance tonight are bosses from some of the richest companies in the world. Yet these companies continue to ignore Equity’s calls to work with us to introduce union-negotiated agreements in the UK that would improve pay, terms and conditions for our members – something that is normal practice in the US.
“Pay for video game performers in the UK has stagnated despite games companies receiving almost £200m in tax breaks; performers do not have proper protections from artificial intelligence or NDA misuse; and they need safer workplaces so they don’t injure their vocals or bodies, or experience improper recordings of intimate scenes. In an industry that generates enormous wealth, Equity members deserve better.”
Tonight’s action is part of Equity’s Game On! campaign to raise standards for performers working in video games. Members of Equity’s sister union SAG-AFTRA are currently on strike against video games companies in the US.
Find out more about the Game On! campaign
