UK TV Drama Agreement: Bectu & Pact Strike Deal After Almost A Year Of Intense Negotiation

deadline.com:

Following almost a year of intense negotiation, UK indie trade body Pact and broadcasting union Bectu have cleared the path for a new UK TV Drama Agreement to be struck with the union’s members finally voting in favor.

A Pact statement in the past few minutes said the body welcomed the result, which sets terms and conditions for the next three years from January 1.

A third ballot has taken place over the past 10 days and broadcasting union Bectu this time indicated it will accept Pact’s compromise on the agreement, which governs areas including working conditions, hours and wellbeing. “This will provide stability for the industry at a time of economic challenge,” said the Pact statement. “The agreement covers all scripted including regional/nations drama, kids and comedy – productions that can be difficult to finance but are fundamental to the drama landscape because they are a training ground for new and diverse talent and crew members.” The negotiations have been messy and sticking points have repeatedly emerged relating to areas such as overtime but an October delay gave both parties the opportunity to draft an agreement in full so as to avoid any doubt, according to a Bectu spokeswoman and Pact CEO John McVay at the time.

Negotiations first broke down in February, revealed by Deadline, over an agreement that had stuck since 2017. With this being the third ballot, the past months have seen the disagreement spilling out into the public sphere, resulting at times in media briefings from the two.