Seeking TRUTH from FACTS – what Actors Equity wanted

www.nbr.co.nz/article/weta-digital-could-lose-all-hobbit-work-fans-told-132079?headsup=1

Seeking TRUTH from FACTS – what Actors Equity wanted

What was so unreasonable about Actors Equity wanting to discuss the requirements for minimum terms and conditions for the engagement of performers on The Hobbit.?

Here is – word for word – the resolution passed at the meeting of Actors Equity on 29 September 2010:

http://www.alliance.org.au/

Wednesday 29 September 2010

“The Hobbit

Four hundred actors attended a meeting in Auckland last night to discuss the requirements for minimum terms and conditions for the engagement of performers on The Hobbit. At the close of that meeting, the following statement was made by Jennifer Ward-Lealand, president of NZ Actors’ Equity.

“As a result of tonight’s meeting New Zealand Actors’ Equity members have overwhelmingly resolved that its delegation continue to seek a meeting with the producers of The Hobbit, and to hold negotiations in good faith on the terms and conditions for performers working on the production.

We have no desire to jeopardise the production or create instability in any way. Our members are simply seeking fair and equitable employment terms and conditions for New Zealand actors – the same terms that their colleagues elsewhere in the world enjoy.

We believe a solution can be found by sitting down together with the producers, and talking through the issues. We all have the same goal in mind – to get The Hobbit made, here in New Zealand.

Until we reach a fair and equitable solution, we recommend that all performers wait before accepting any engagement on The Hobbit.”

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

The Hobbit: Australian actors support NZ actors’ strong stance

Four hundred New Zealand performers have passed a resolution calling on The Hobbit’s producers to hold negotiations in good faith on their terms and conditions of employment and recommending all performers wait until this occurs before accepting any engagement on The Hobbit.

Simon Whipp, Assistant Federal Secretary of Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance said:

“The resolution made by New Zealand performers last night has the full support of Australia’s acting community. What they are asking the producers to do – sit down and discuss the employment conditions of New Zealand performers – is a reasonable, and lawful, request.”

For further updates, including recent letters of support from the international acting community, the resolution of last night’s meeting in full and a video of Jennifer making a statement to the media after the meeting, See actorsequity.org.nz ”

How SCARY should that request have been to a reasonable ’employer’?

Penny Bright