SAG-AFTRA Strike: British Acting Union Equity provides advice to members working in the UK under different contracts

With the historic SAG-AFTRA strike now in effect, Hollywood productions have been shutting down around the world as actors go offline in accordance with union rules. Outside the US, much of the impact is likely to be felt in the UK, now a major international hub for studio productions. Deadpool 3 it’s just one of the big-budget features that got put on hold, as it was filmed at Pinewood Studios.

Some productions, however, are still fine to continue filming in the UK, such as HBO’s second season. Game of Throneprequel dragon housethat he is hired by the British actors union Equity and not by SAG-AFTRA.

Although Equity has declared its full solidarity with the industrial action and has encouraged its members to join the demonstrations it plans to organize in the coming days and weeks, to avoid doubts about possible gray areas, it has also presented advice for those working in the UK on different contracts about how they should approach the strike.

The advisory notes, Equity members who are not SAG-AFTRA members working in the UK on Equity contracts for a US producer should “continue to work and a SAG-AFTRA picket should not prevent them from they do it”. Essentially, the main legal issue is that while SAG-AFTRA may be legal under US law, Equity’s lawyers have said that it is not legal under UK law. (He describes UK employment relations legislation as “draconian” and regarded as “the most restrictive in the Western world.”) As such, Equity says that actors in this situation would have “no protection against being fired or sued for breach of contract by the producer.” or his contracting party if he goes on strike or refuses to cross a picket line”. But he says that continuing to work should not prejudice any rights to join SAG-AFTRA in the future.

Actors who are members of Equity and SAG-AFTRA working in the UK on an Equity contract for a US producer should also continue to work, Equity advises, as they would also have no legal protection against being fired or sued. But he said that under UK law SAG-AFTRA could not discipline them for continuing to work.

Similarly, SAG-AFTRA members who live in the US but work in the UK on a capital contract, who also have a contract addendum issued by SAG-AFTRA to allow them to work under a capital contract (as per global rule 1), they are also advised to continue working and must not be impeded by a picket.

However, Equity urges US-based SAG-AFTRA members working in the UK under a SAG-AFTRA contract to contact their union for further advice and says that any actor who If you are a member of Equity and SAG-AFTRA working on a production in the US, you must follow all instructions from SAG-AFTRA regarding your production strike.

Outside of film and TV productions, Equity says any SAG-AFTRA member working in UK theater is out of industrial action and contract disputes, so they must continue to work, as are members of Equity or SAG-AFTRA working on TV commercials in the UK.

For those who simply want to show their support for the SAG-AFTRA dispute, Equity stressed again that it plans to organize “shows of solidarity.” However, he warned people “not to encourage people to stop working” on productions in the UK, as they are likely to be acting illegally in doing so.