End "silent subsidy" in theatres

BECTU has accused English theatres of transferring funding shortages onto staff whose pay and conditions suffer.

Replying to a discussion paper from the Arts Council of England, the union claimed that members working in theatres have paid a "silent subsidy" in the form of poor working conditions and reduced job security.

Read the union's policy statement

The use of volunteers to fill front of house jobs as a way of dealing with cash shortages was also condemned by BECTU.

In a country-wide survey of theatre members earlier this year, the union found that low pay, excessive overtime, insecurity, and health and safety fears topped the list of concerns among backstage and front of house staff.

To deal with these problems, the union called on the Arts Council of England to encourage more permanent employment in theatres, and better union representation on Regional Arts Boards.

Funding of theatres should be a statutory obligation on local authorities, said BECTU, and the cancellation of accumlated deficits should be a priority.

Since the 1980s theatres have been chronically underfunded, according to BECTU, and their financial problems were not the result of bad management. Lack of investment, both in infrastructure and productions, had left many theatre dark for long periods, with a negative effect on communities and theatre workers alike.

The Arts Council of England was due to meet on July 25 to finalise its national theatre policy, after considering comments including BECTU's response.