Bectu to update unscripted pay guidance amid criticism

Bectu plans to update its unscripted pay rate guidance amid some criticism that it is not reflective of freelancers’ experience.

The union last week published recommended weekly pay bands for 40 unscripted editorial and production roles as part of a “major step” towards improving pay equality, with researchers told to expect £605-£930 and assistant producers £800-£1125.

However the bands have come under fire, with criticism from a number of freelancers that they are “inflated”, with the top end of the spectrums some way above the level that employers are prepared to pay.

Adeel Amini, founder of freelancer wellbeing project The TV Mindset, warned that the guidance risks doing “more harm than good”.

“While the baseline rates are a good starting point, the higher end rates could be very damaging and dangerous,” he said.

“If people take these Bectu-endorsed rates to productions, they will find that budgets don’t reflect this. We have to think about creating a sustainable industry ecosystem, which is about getting paid fairly, but it’s also about being realistic.”

In response to the backlash, Bectu’s Unscripted TV Union chair James Taylor has acknowledged that the guidance has its “limitations and could benefit from greater context”.

He added: “Accurately reflecting rates across a varied industry across multiple genres can lead to oversimplification and we’ll be working to refine and update the guidance so we can drive change in giving people an idea of what they should be asking for.”

Bectu set the rates following a survey of over 3,000 freelancers conducted via The Freelance Taskforce and The Time Project and is keen for it to become a “truly useful tool” for talent.

“We recognise this is a complicated subject, and that publication of the guidance has highlighted many existing issues in the sector – including the disparity in pay within diverse communities, and the lack of parity between rates in production and editorial roles,” he added.