AVU send open letter with hundreds of signatures to studios asking for paid overtime.
The Animation & Visual Effects Union ran a petition over the last few months asking for those working in Animation & Visual Effects to sign an open letter asking studios to pay overtime hours. The petition was a great success with hundreds of people signing, as well as getting a lot of recognition on various social media platforms.
It comes after Outpost VFX and DNEG announced their pledges 150% overtime pay for any excess hours working on their projects. So far, all other studios in the UK have refused to step up and pay their workers for time worked past their contracted 40 hours. Various studios have already claimed they never ‘require’ anyone to work overtime and that it is entirely up to the discretion of the employee.
However, with short term contracts at the advantage to many employers, those who choose not to agree to working excessive unpaid hours risk their contracts just ‘not being extended’. This is something a lot of studios deny, though is still considered part of the fear factor of not speaking out against unpaid overtime and excessive overtime hours.
Working less hours in general is the goal here. I think we can all agree? Ideally, keeping those hours to the contracted 37.5/40 hours a (or whatever is stated in your contract) week would be perfect. Though we understand things can take longer than expected, now and again, so being paid for those few extra hours would make all artists, animators, production and so on much happier, more valued and productive members of the team.
Watch this space.
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