OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Animation & Visual Effects Union is no stranger to scrutiny, hearsay and myths when it comes to what we are trying to achieve. We want to set the record straight. We want to debunk the myths about forming a union. We want to make sure everyone knows what we are really planning to achieve. Find out FAQ’s below:
WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO JOIN?
The union needs a capacity to campaign for better employment rights, and it retains a professional team to do this. The larger the membership, the more effective our ability to respond to challenges from bad employers will be. Union membership comes with a lot of benefits. We are not-for-profit. The money is spent on things like research, campaigns and legal advice to our members by qualified employment law specialists, along with lawyers that are retained by the union. Because it is an emerging industry with a high turnover of staff, the average VFX worker uses accesses this legal and employment advice significantly more than the average Bectu member.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF JOINING A UNION?
Your membership also provides access to free legal advice and practical assistance if things go wrong for you at work. You can also get guidance on tax and contract law. But there is something much bigger than that. By joining the union you are strengthening the only organisation that is working to make the industry better for the people who work in it.
WHAT IMMEDIATE RESULTS CAN I EXPECT IF I JOIN?
As soon as you join the union you qualify for assistance in any new workplace problems you have. You can also take advantage of financial and legal advice services, along with several discounts and educational opportunities. Long-term however, the rewards are more fulfilling. Ultimately we are aiming to improve pay, reduce working hours and improve job opportunities. We can only do this by sticking together.
WILL A UNION IMPOSE STRICT RULES AS TO WHAT ARTISTS CAN BE PAID? (I.E. PAY CAPS?)
No. All union policies are made democratically which means a pay cap would never be called for unless it were agreed by the majority of members in the bargaining unit – and BECTU members have never indicated any interest in pressing for any pay caps. The union would press for minimum professional industry rates for low- paid workers though.
MIGHT A UNION CALL STRIKES, POTENTIALLY ALIENATING THE ARTISTS FROM THE STUDIOS?
BECTU is a democratic union. There has never been any inclination to use strikes as a tool to challenge the employers in the VFX industry. Our members would never support it unless the employers have behaved outrageously. The threat of some limited industrial action (e.g. a collective refusal to work overtime) can sometimes strengthen negotiations, but we would only consider balloting for this kind of action in the last resort – and it would involve getting over all kinds of legal hurdles.
IF WE SUCCEEDED IN GETTING PAID OVERTIME WOULDN'T IT DAMAGE THE UK ANIMATION AND VFX INDUSTRY?
Almost every other high-tech industry recognises that long hours working is counterproductive. It actually reduces productivity and damages the quality of work. Overtime penalties are designed to encourage employers to plan and schedule more effectively. BECTU only wants Overtime payments as a deterrent to bad management practices. They are a win-win for both employer and employee. Canada is a great example of a country with a flourishing VFX industry where overtime penalty payments are legally required.
COULD ANIMATION AND VFX UNION SUCCESSES RESULT IN WORK THAT IS DONE IN THE UK GOING ABROAD?
It is a mistake for professional artists to get involved in a ‘race to the bottom’ and unionising in the UK will have no negative impact on how work is outsourced to other countries. The logic of an industry that is becoming more automated is that low-grade work goes to developing countries while high-quality work continues to be done in the places that are best at retaining and cultivating talent.
Unionising the UK VFX workforce makes it more likely that UK facilities will be able to keep high-quality work. By working more sustainably, the UK workforce will not keep losing the best artists.
Strong unions can apply pressure to employers to train their employees, future proofing their careers – but only in the countries where the unions are strong. Let’s not make the UK one of the countries that are racing to the bottom, shall we?
HOW MUCH OF A SAY DO WE HAVE IN UNION DECISIONS? ARE THERE DEMOCRATIC DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES?
Yes. Unions only ever make decisions democratically. By contrast, VFX artists working in studios without an active union currently have very little influence over decisions directly affecting their working life.