PACT - Demand Better in film and TV

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Negotiations with PACT

Equity is currently negotiating with Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) to revise and improve the collective agreements across film and TV. PACT is the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies. We have separate agreements for members working on BBC, ITV, Streamers, Commercials, Welsh language TV, or other film - see our Rates and Agreements section for full details.

Our aim is to secure a new agreement with improved pay and working conditions. 

The last agreement with PACT was reached in 2019, and a lot has happened in the sector and wider economy since then. We're demanding better for our members in film and TV, and we need your help to secure the best deal possible. Read on for our key demands and how you can get involved.

For the first time, we'll be balloting thousands of members on the deal. If you have worked on a PACT-covered tv or film job at some point over the last three years, you'll get a vote. 

We are also renegotiating the side letter agreements with streaming platforms: Apple, Netflix, and Disney plus. New terms will be reflected in Equity contracts across film and television in the next few years. 

Five key areas

We’ve seen huge appetite from Equity members to demand better in film and TV. Following unprecedented levels of engagement during our consultation with our members working in film and TV, you’ve told us that these are the five key issues that matter most to you in these negotiations:  

Pay has not gone up with inflation and the cost of living

Negotiations with PACT progress update (May 2025)

In June 2024, Equity submitted detailed claims to Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) to revise the collective agreements across film and TV.  Our aim is to secure a new agreement with improved pay and working conditions.   

After over 20 meetings discussing our claim, we have now started to received counterproposals from Pact. The summary below outlines what the union claimed for and what Pact are currently offering. Visit our PACT negotations explainer page for more in-depth detail.

  

Summary of Counterproposal 

 

What we claimed for

What PACT are offering  

1. Significant increases on Equity minimums to improve rates of pay 

  • Film: Restructured pay rates hiking up basic rates, a new budget band for films £20million+ with new, higher minimum rates for those productions

  • TV: 13.5% increase to minimums already agreed 2023-2026, subsequent years to be agreed

  • 17.5% increase on production day payments 
  • Film: No meaningful increase to basic rates 

  • 11% increase spread over 3 years for all budget levels

  • Refusal to engage with our proposed restructure

  • No new budget band to target productions that can afford to pay more

  • TV: 13.5% increase to minimums already agreed 2023-2026, subsequent years to be agreed

  • 17.5% increase on production day payments agreed, excluding productions on the lowest budget band 

2. Royalty and residual payment reform so that artists receive a fair share in an ever-changing media landscape

  • Film: Increase share of ongoing payments from 3% to 5% 

  • Earlier royalty payments via significantly reduced recoupment (the threshold for issuing royalties)

  • TV: Significant increases to and a restructure of  streaming residuals. Limit usage to 10 years for one platform

  • Film & TV: significantly reduce “legitimate deductions” made to the royalty pot for sales from video and DVD sales, and abolish this practice altogether for downloading. 
  • Film: Increase share of some ongoing payments from 3% to 3.2%, no increase for British Independent Film

  • Recoupment only reduced by 2.5%

  • TV:  2% increase on streaming residuals, refused restructure. Agreed to limit usage to 10 years, but for an unlimited number of platforms
     
  • Film & TV: Broadly agreed for video and DVD. Accepted abolishing deductions for sales from download to rent, but not for download to own. 

3. Comprehensive AI protections to regulate the use of AI and protect performers’ image, voice and likeness

  1. Informed consent and fair compensation for use of performance data to train AI models 

  1. Informed consent and fair compensation for creating AI-generated performances 

  1. Control of your likeness during lifetime and post-mortem 

  1. Prohibiting the use of AI for ‘dubbing’ content in foreign languages 

  • No counterclaim has been presented by PACT

4. Codified self-tape provisions to establish fairer methods of casting

  1. No more than 6 pages per take; no more than 2 roles’ no more than 2 scenes per role 

  1. At least 72 hour turnaround times 

  1. No reader required 

  1. Producer to inform unsuccessful candidates upon casting  

  • Broadly agreed, but with 48 hours turnaround instead of 72 hours

5. Improved dignity at work 

  1. Stamping down on special stipulations – only allowing legitimately ‘special’ clauses to be added to contracts and nothing else 

  1. Introducing key terms for suitable hair and make-up provisions for members of all ethnicities and cultures 

  1. Financial penalties for any turnaround time (rest period) less than 12 hours 
     

  1. Special Stipulations Project in progress – no counterproposal received yet
     
  1. Agreeable to introducing a clause but do not agree to having a HMU consultant on every production  

  1. Refusing to accept a penalty for any turnaround time less than 12 hours 

 

Read our explainer page for more information about each section of our claim via the button below.

Negotiations Update Full Summary

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