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Equity accepts 0.5% hike as bid for £400 minimum collapses

Published Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 14:25 by Lalayn Baluch

Equity has failed to secure a 14.3% minimum pay increase across the board for actors and stage managers working outside the West End, after it was forced to accept an interim hike of 0.5% - £1.75 per week - for members employed in subsidised repertory theatre.

The union’s campaign to secure an increase from £350 to £400 in the regions was regarded as its next major pay initiative, following its successful bid last year to raise the West End minimum to between £450 and £600 a week, depending on the size of the theatre and any Sunday performance requirements.

While Equity’s negotiations with the Theatrical Management Association for an increase in commercial theatre continue, it talks over ‘sub rep’ have reached an impasse.

In a letter to members, Equity assistant general secretary for live performance Stephen Spence explained that the interim 0.5% settlement - which he described as “not a decent increase” - would be put into effect for 2009/10.

Spence said the deal had been made in exchange for “one minor clarification relating to final dress rehearsal”, despite theatre managers initially calling for “significant changes to the terms and agreements”.

Last month, the union launched the Manifesto for Theatre consultation process, seeking members’ views on industrial issues. The findings will be used to decide its next step for pay negotiations and will culminate in a conference in April 2010.

Spence wrote: “The choices available were to accept the 0.5% on an interim basis or simply walk away from negotiations with the TMA until that process was complete and risk losing any increase for 2009/10. The former option provided a very small increase on an interim basis but we were not prepared to change the terms of the agreement to achieve a little more.

“The latter option meant 2009/10 was likely to result in a pay freeze as the judgement was the TMA would not backdate to April 2009 if discussions went any longer. Reluctantly [council] decided that Equity should accept the 0.5% for 2009/10 to allow us the time to consult with members in order to determine the next step in relation to the Equity claim.”

Richard Pulford, chief executive of the TMA, explained that theatre managers had been unwilling to accept the deal sought by Equity due to funding concerns.

He said: “It is not very difficult to understand. In the present climate with subsidy under very severe threat they found it very difficult. [Commercial theatre] is less subject to subsidy threats, they are not immune from them, but are less likely to be.”

Earlier this year, Equity was forced to settle its small-scale agreement with the Independent Theatre Council at £375 a week.

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