DGA’s US studio deal welcomed

BECTU has welcomed the news that the Directors Guild of America has signed a deal with US studios and producers.

The deal covers pay and conditions and addresses the current sticking point over digital/online use of writers' work - something that UK writers have been monitoring closely.

Speaking yesterday, Assistant General Secretary Martin Spence said: "The DGA deal comes at a difficult time for the industry with the Writers Guild of America - which is negotiating on many of the same issues as the DGA - still out on strike."

This deal may pave the way for fresh negotiations between the studios and the WGA (Writers Guild of America), which, if successful, could end the 11-week old strike and provide better news for UK workers who have felt the knock-on effect of the US strike.

Two films that were being make in the UK but which closed down due to the US strike were Angels and Demons, and Nottingham.

Martin Spence continued: “Anything that helps achieve a fair settlement will be welcome. But even if writers settled tomorrow, enough damage has already been done to guarantee that 2008 will be a bad year for workers in the UK film industry.”

WGA negotiators are due to meet this week on how to resume their talks.