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Citation: Percival, Neil (2016) Entry level workers' disconnection from the collective memory of TV and film professionals in the UK: insight from survey data into experiences, attitudes and resistance to unpaid work. In: ECREA European Communication Conference, 9-12 November 2016, Prague.

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Entry level workers' disconnection from the collective memory of TV and film

professionals in the UK

November 12th 2016 - ECREA

Neil Percival

Northumbria University

Insight from survey data into experiences, attitudes and resistance to unpaid work

ECREA 2016

Context

Slide 2 of 14

• UK TV industry – shift from a broadcaster/producer model to one of the most

casualised, project-based/freelance employment markets

• With this shift one of the most heavily unionised industries became one of the

most heavily casualised as levels of unionisation plummeted

• High esteem of a ‘glamorous’ industry leads to oversupply of labour and a highly

competitive entry-level employment market

• Equally competitive independent company environment market creates fertile

ground for a growth in the use of unpaid labour

ECREA 2016

Context

Individualism vs collectivism – some literature

Slide 3 of 14

• 2000 - Ross: ‘sacrificial concepts of mental or cultural labor’

• 2000 – Ursell: Workers co-operate with the ‘vampire’ to identify ways

to take competitive advantage within the system

• 2001 and 2016 – McRobbie: ‘Being expected to work without

workplace entitlements severs a connection with past generations’

• 2011 - Hesmondhalgh & Baker – ‘one important threat to the

effectiveness of unions is the individualisation… whereby workers tend

to see organisations and jobs, as opportunities for self-development,

rather than sources of commitment’

• 2014 – Percival & Hesmondhalgh – ‘individual self-development leads

to a lack of concern for general working conditions’

Sacrificial labour

Competitive – not

collective

Individualisation

Self-realization

Self-development

ECREA 2016

Individualism vs collectivism – some literature

The survey – worker attitudes to unpaid work

Slide 4 of 14

• Originally set up to distinguish attitudes to unpaid work in film and TV

sectors

• Online survey – 1,100 respondents working in film and TV in the UK

Statement – rank agreement from 1 to 10 (averages given) Whole TV Film

‘ I believe that asking someone to work for free is morally wrong’ 6.9 7.1 6.5

'I believe in the individual's right to choose to work for free' 6.4 6.3 7.1

‘The morality of unpaid work depends on the budget available’ 3.9 3.5 4.7

‘ I would not take part in any form of illegal employment practice’

7.4 7.6 6.4

‘For me, working for free was (or is) the only entry route available'

4.7 4.2 6.2

‘Unpaid work is a good selection mechanism for industry entry’ 3.5 3.2 4.7

ECREA 2016

The survey – worker attitudes to unpaid work

Factors correlating to ethical attitude

Slide 5 of 14

Film sector was consistently more positive about unpaid work

…but there were other factors that mapped onto moral attitudes even

more closely.

Correlations between anti-unpaid work position, and:

• Higher budget, fully funded production models

• Older and more experienced

ECREA 2016 Slide 6 of 14

Levels of experience

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

exp 0-2years

exp 3-5years

exp 6-10years

exp 11-20years

exp 21-30years

exp 31-40years

exp >40years

% v

ari

ati

on

fro

m s

am

ple

ave

rag

e

Experience vs anti unpaid work statements

no illegal employ. practice

work for free morally wrong

Prods should pay whole crew

Unethical

Exploitative

ECREA 2016 Slide 7 of 14

Levels of experience

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

exp 0-2years

exp 3-5years

exp 6-10years

exp 11-20years

exp 21-30years

exp 31-40years

exp >40years

% v

ari

ati

on

fro

m s

am

ple

ave

rag

e

Experience vs pro-unpaid work statements

Beneficial

Industry wouldn't function without UW

Min. wage law no deterrent

Learning experience

Networking

ECREA 2016

Levels of experience

Qualitative comments

Slide 8 of 14

Poordisadvantaged

Injustice

Professionalsdevalued

Livingundermined

0

10

20

30

40

11-2021-30

31-4041-50

51-6061-

Per

cen

tag

e

Age range

• Young workers (esp. film) clearly articulated benefits of unpaid

work to their own careers

• Awareness of principles of collectivism amongst comments

• Some expressed fears for their own position - that unpaid work

devalues professionals (26 comments) or undercuts their ability to

make a living (19 comments)

• A higher number made more altruistic comments related to more

general injustice (38) or disadvantage to poorer entrants (55)

• Those making altruistic comments, had a far lower average age

than those making self-interested observations, who had more

individuals in the 50s and 60s

ECREA 2016

Qualitative comments

Mobilisation theory – John Kelly

Slide 9 of 14

Kelly’s framework (1998) focuses on some of the following precursors to mobilisation:

1. the perception of injustice

'I feel that unpaid work is a source of injustice in the industry' – 7.5 agreement

2. a sense of collective identity and interest definition

‘I believe many other people in my industry share my views and interests' – 7.5 agreement

3. the definition of an opposing agency and attribution of blame to them

'I believe it is possible to identify those who are to blame for injustice in the industry‘ - 6.5 agreement

4. belief in the potential success and overall benefits of any action

‘I believe that collective action can bring about change in working practices within the industry’ – 7.5 agreement

5. leadership

ECREA 2016

Mobilisation theory – John Kelly

TV Wrap as an example of this

Slide 10 of 14

The 2005 TV Wrap campaign showed this at work in a non-union context:

1. the perception of injustice

Expressed through online fora and a loud media campaign

2. a sense of collective identity and interest definition,

Freelancers (especially at entry level) also acquired this through online fora and discussion

3. the definition of an opposing agency and attribution of blame to them,

The Producers’ Association, PACT – who became directly targeted and their members scapegoated

4. belief in the potential success and overall benefits of any action

Grew as the campaign gathered steam and acquired media attention

5. leadership playing an important role in generating all of the above

ECREA 2016

TV Wrap as an example of thisRoutes to collective support

Slide 11 of 14

Examples of other ways in which collective organisation is taking place at

entry level:

• BECTU Young Members’ Forum

• TV Watercooler

• Facebook runners’ group

ECREA 2016

Routes to collective support

The workplace substitute?

Slide 12 of 14

• BECTU has succeeded where there is a workplace

• Much union/organisation literature is predicated on the existence of

such a workplace in which to organise

• Kelly largely assumes a workplace – and unionism as the natural

outcome

• McRobbie has already asked: ‘Maybe there can be no workplace

politics when there is no workplace’?

• This dynamic ‘fundamentally poses a challenge to the institutionalised

preoccupations and priorities of union leaders’ (Cohen, 2009)

• Saundry et al (2012) – trade unions can collaborate to achieve

concrete outcomes from social capital generated in other networks

ECREA 2016

The workplace substitute?

The role of the educator?

Slide 13 of 14

• Beck (1992) – ‘reflexivity’ as the means by which individuals monitor

themselves – but requires sophisticated sociological knowledge

• McRobbie (2001): no scope for the dissemination of such ideas or

solutions – except within ‘the academy’.

• McCash (2008) on employability - ‘consider the beliefs of self and

others concerning career, labour markets and employability’

• Ashton (2011) – a ‘Career Studies’ approach - allows students to be

critical of professional norms and working conditions.

• Ashton & Noonan (ed 2011) – HE is a place where critical

conversations need to begin

• And a personal note…

ECREA 2016

Thanks for listening