SPEAKING out AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT Helen Vine Describes How Equity Helped Win Her Harassment Case
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.equity.org.uk MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018 Union launches its Creating Safe Spaces campaign Our Deputy on Hamilton discusses representation Know your rights on low pay work SPEAKING OUT AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT Helen Vine describes how Equity helped win her harassment case PRESIDENT SINCLAIR’S EQUITY DISTRIBUTES IMPROVED PAY AND FINAL COLUMN £6.4 MILLION PENSIONS ITC DEAL INSURANCE? EQUITY MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018 IN THIS ISSUE 4 FRONT OF HOUSE Designers’ working group, shared parental Exclusive Professional Property Cover for leave rally and organising the games industry Equity members 7 UPFRONT Christine Payne, General Secretary UK/Europe or Worldwide 8 MEET THE MEMBERSHIP cameras and ancillary equipment, PA, sound ,lighting, and mechanical effects equipment, portable computer Obioma Ugoala, Hamilton’s George 14 equipment, rigging equipment, tools, props, sets and costumes, musical instruments, make up and prosthetics. Washington and Equity dep 10 SUCCESS STORIES GET AN INSURANCE QUOTE AT FIRSTACTINSURANCE.CO.UK New ITC agreement, Equity distributes £6.4m 18 and a new ERA for Equality Tel 020 8686 5050 14 FACING SEXUAL HARASSMENT First Act Insurance* is the preferred insurance intermediary to Helen Vine speaks about her experiences and *First Act Insurance is a trading name of Hencilla Canworth Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 226263 standing up to her attackers 18 CREATING SAFE SPACES Tackling harassment in the workplace and First Act Insurance presents... promoting the union’s helpline 20 LOW PAY/NO PAY NEED-TO-KNOW Know your rights and know what to look for in a non-Equity contract 22 TUC REPORT What happened at the TUC Women’s and TUC Young Workers’ Conferences 26 PRESIDENT MALCOLM SINCLAIR Malcolm’s final presidential column 6 22 27 IN APPRECIATION Kenneth Haigh Key features include • Competitive online quote and buy cover provided by HISCOX. 28 LETTERS Remembering Tony Booth • Annual or short period cover available. 30 YOUR EQUITY Member offers Tel 020 8686 5050 VISIT SHOWTIMEINSURANCE.CO.UK Equity staff profile: Addam Merali-Younger, Where and when you need it! membership support assistant Branch notes Explore the North-East region 32 First Act Insurance* is the preferred insurance intermediary to *First Act Insurance is a trading name of Hencilla Canworth Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 226263 8 2 equity SUMMER 2018 www.equity.org.uk www.equity.org.uk FRONT OF HOUSE IN BRIEF EQUITYJOINS SISTER UNIONS & GUILDS TO FIGHT FOR DESIGNERS SAFE Women’s Strike This International Women’s Day, an Equity FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, Equity is joining forces with professional SPACES contingent led by Anna-Maria Nabirye associations and BECTU to create a theatre designers’ working group. attended London’s Women’s Strike. She Following Equity’s colloboration with Stage Directors UK on a Directors’ was joined by members including Screen Working Group last year, representatives from the Association of Lighting CAMPAIGN and New Media Committee’s Bertie Carvel Designers (ALD), the Society of British Theatre Designers (SBTD) and the and chair of the Women’s Committee Kelly two aforementioned unions will jointly evaluate current working terms Burke. Anna-Maria explained: “I wanted our and conditions for freelance designers and work together to create clear, LAUNCHED industry to show up. So to be there with fair terms of engagement for freelancers that will in turn help make career my union was so important. For me it was a paths transparent and promote diversity within the sector. New initiative will tackle strong step from thought and discussion to The group will also look at other issues affecting design workers, the entertainment industry’s action. I felt so proud standing alongside our including pay, bullying and harassment, and also seek ways to spread sexual harassment crisis flag and members.” understanding and awareness of the profession throughout the wider theatre industry. Save Stage Lighting John MacMillan, Maureen Beattie, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Billie THE CAST OF YERMA Piper, Thalissa Teixeira, Brendan Cowell and Charlotte Randle Equity’s Designers and Directors Committee LAUNCHED EQUITY’S urges union members to sign the petition to new Safe Spaces campaign that prevent theatre across Europe going dark. PROTECTING ARTS IN THE highlights the union’s leading role helpline through posters that will be put up in members’ workplaces – including The Save Stage Lighting campaign asks in preventing and dealing with rehearsal spaces, casting suites and green rooms. the EU Cultural and Energy directorates to TIME OF AUSTERITY sexual harassment and promotes The union has also created a statement that it is encouraging members to read “maintain the exemption afforded to all the Equity helpline. aloud at the beginning of every new rehearsal period, read-through, workshop or stage lighting equipment” to prevent long- FOLLOWING A 2017 ANNUAL Representative Safe Spaces aims to gives project, which will demonstrate a company’s commitment to creating safe spaces free standing lighting fixtures from becoming Conference motion from North and East London Branch, members the confidence of bullying and harassment. The campaign is one of the action points from the union’s “yet more scrap metal and glass.” Council established the Arts Policy and Campaigns to challenge inappropriate Agenda for Change report. The agenda explains how the union, engagers, agents, You can sign the petition here: Working Party to examine how current arts policy behaviour and to report it knowing that the union is casting directors, boards, educators and workplaces must work together to create a www.equity.org.uk/savestagelighting sits in an age of austerity and to examine the Union’s always there for them. culture shift in response to the tide of horrifying revelations of sexual harassment. campaigning on arts policy issues. The campaign will publicise the union’s harassment A Safe Spaces postcard is enclosed with this magazine, find out more on page 18. West End Bake Off The working party will deliver recommendations to the This year’s West End Bake Off will be held on December 2018 Council, and is keen to consult with as many Saturday 19 May. Casts will compete with members as possible. If you wish to share your views or talk their culinary creations, and members of the to the co-ordinators of the Policy Group or Campaigns, email the secretary to the Union rallies for equal rights for self-employed parents public will be welcome to attend the event working party Stephen Spence on [email protected] from 10.30am. After the winner is announced ON 21 FEBRUARY, MP and proud Equity member Tracy Brabin than me but had she taken paid work during her maternity at 11am, the cakes and signed posters will be put forward a 10 Minute Rule Bill calling for shared parental leave, she would have lost her maternity pay. Instead I had to sold to raise money for Acting for Others. leave and pay to be available to all self-employed workers. work away from home for months on end. UNION: CELEBRATE AND FUND This would allow them to navigate childcare around their “It’s been a real struggle for her to care for two young Quentin Letts employment opportunities, ensuring mothers will not children on her own during that time. General Secretary Christine Payne has made NORTHERN IRISH CULTURE have to pass up paid work even when their partners are We want other parents to have better an official response to the casting comments available to look after their children. opportunities to make the choices they by Quentin Letts in his review of The EQUITY AND THEATRE NI are to host a celebration of Northern Members gathered together at a rally to show their want to make in the early years, not those Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich, which can be Ireland’s creative industries on 5 May. support for this potentially life-changing bill. Equity they have to make.” read here: www.equity.org.uk/QuentinLetts The event will see local and national politicians, high-profile Councillor Hywel Morgan (pictured) who attended with There will be a second reading Equity reiterated its call for better actors, leading arts and culture practitioners, representatives from his wife and two children, explained: “Both of us were debate of the bill on 11 May. monitoring of the number of minority ethnic community and voluntary organisations come together to mark the self-employed when our children were born. We had Members are encouraged to actors on stage and screen, so the union economic contribution these sectors have made to the country. They to get by on Statutory Maternity Pay, what little get in contact with their MPs, can properly assess how much progress the will also look to the future, and to how Northern Ireland as a nation savings we had and my income as an actor, which and urge them to show industry has made in utilising diverse talent. can continue to grow its arts and culture industry. can be sporadic. My wife generally earns more their support. and creating art that truly reflects society. Equity is concerned about the Arts Council Ireland’s recent funding cuts. To read our response, see: www.equity.org.uk/nifunding 4 equity SUMMER 2018 www.equity.org.uk www.equity.org.uk SUMMER 2018 equity 5 FRONT OF HOUSE UPFRONT Make your voice heard NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES – EQUITY Equity is a democratic organisation, it is so important that in the upcoming elections you use your vote and have your say. This is a key part of showing your commitment to your union TO UNIONISE THE GAMING INDUSTRY EQUITY IS MAKING a concerted push to organise day. Out of office hours, messages working diligently to combine workers in the games industry to help bring about can be left and will be responded to his duty and responsibilities as better working conditions within the sector.