UK Union Terrified After SAG-AFTRA Gets Active

Equity, the U.K. actors union, is on their way to preparing advice for their members as SAG-AFTRA is getting ready to take strike action on Thursday.

Equity has agreed on a basic position with its American half about the certain steps and in the upcoming days, they will hammer out the final details. The upcoming changes will apply to U.K. productions only.

Equity, based in London, represents around 50,000 members and represents actors, dancers, singers, designers, voice artists, and more.

Now, the talks between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood producers went south a couple of days ago. The labor union raised certain issues regarding wages, residuals, and healthcare. They even negotiated regarding the usage of AI in the products.

As the Union’s contract expired a day ago, the possibility of a strike looks imminent.

Equity has asked the members to check the website for certain specific bits of advice around 8 p.m. U.K. time on Thursday. It will occur simultaneously with a SAG-AFTRA press conference in Los Angeles, announcing the actors’ strike.

And, British law prevents the union from doing so. The U.K.’s strict union laws prevent a show of unity and they can’t call a strike legally.

As the SAG-AFTRA is preparing for the strike, Equity aligns with them as they have been facing the same problems through the years. Even concerns over Artificial intelligence and Self-taped auditions have created a lot of problems for the performers.