Bectu responds to redundancies at Coronation Street and Emmerdale
“Today’s announcement will be very difficult news for everyone concerned. Corrie and Emmerdale have entertained generations and provided brilliant employment opportunities and skills development for film and TV workers in Yorkshire and the northwest. Bectu members and other crew have been central to bringing so many iconic storylines to life.
“We will do everything we can to support our members who are impacted and we’re pleased to have ITV’s commitment to work with us during this challenging period. Primarily, we will be working to mitigate any compulsory redundancies and seeking voluntary redundancies where possible. We are also working to understand the impact on the freelance workforce.
“These scheduling changes and resulting redundancies are symptomatic of a very challenging period for the industry and the need for commissioners and production companies to meet changing audience viewing habits.
“Creative industry workers contribute so much to our cultural fabric via their skills and talents, and many have dedicated their lives to their careers in TV. But there’s no denying that crew are among the most vulnerable to industry changes and developments, as today’s announcement illustrates all too well.
“Labour has been clear that it values the creative industries and their huge economic contribution. Bectu will continue to push for better government and industry collaboration to ensure that workers’ needs are top of the political agenda.”