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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