Performers To Strike

Date: 11 July 2003

Actor's Equity section

Australian performers will strike after months of being stonewalled by producers in negotiations over the agreements that cover their wages and conditions. "It's not a decision performers take lightly, but the producers don't seem to understand just how angry performers are," said Simon Whipp, National Director of the Equity Section of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the union representing performers.

Performers will strike for 24 hours on Thursday 17 July 2003. This will be followed by a ban of all weekend work commencing 19 July 2003.

The negotiations have extended over 8 months so far, and relate to work performers do in local film productions such as Moulin Rouge and Lantana and to all television productions such as Home and Away, MDA, McLeods' Daughters and Blue Heelers.

Areas of contention include the fair and logical distribution of the financial success of film and television productions, daily fees to be paid to performers and option contracts.

"We hope that the producers come to their senses and agree to our very moderate proposals so that prolonged industrial action can be avoided and we can all get back to work," said Whipp.

Performers have already reached a provisional agreement with the producers of the telemovie Go Big and have exempted this production from the threat of any immediate industrial action.

For further information

Contact:	Simon Whipp
Union:	MEAA
Phone:	02 9333 0999
Email:	mail@alliance.org.au
WWW:	http://www.alliance.org.au

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