Bectu welcomes CIISA Chair announcement

Bectu has today welcomed the appointment of Baroness Helena Kennedy as Chair of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

Commenting on the appointment, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“Bectu has long been vocal about the need for an independent reporting body like CIISA and we are thrilled that its formal launch is now closer than ever with this important appointment confirmed. To have someone of this calibre appointed speaks volumes about the value and importance of CIISA’s work.

“Recent incidents and Bectu’s own research earlier this year indicate the need for such a body is urgent and that industry buy-in is critical. Everyone should be able to do their job free from the threat of any form of harassment. In a sector where power imbalances are particularly extreme, it’s critical that victims can have confidence that their allegations will be taken seriously, investigated and dealt with swiftly, and perpetrators held to account.

“However, we know that many Bectu members feel that current reporting systems across the creative industries are not fit for purpose, with many driven to leave their job rather than reporting harassment, for fear of reprisal. And this disproportionately affects the freelance workforce and those in precarious employment

“We send our heartiest congratulations to Baroness Kennedy and look forward to working with her and the rest of the CIISA team to drive real change for the creative workforce. We also issue our sincere thanks to interim Chair Jen Smith, who has been critical in readying CIISA for its launch later this year.”

Earlier this year, Bectu called on broadcasters, studios, streamers, production companies and other creative industry bodies and employers to financially back CIISA, following the union’s research which indicted 84% of industry workers felt the sector needs an independent body to investigate, report and prevent harassment.

Bectu also recently wrote to the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, urging the government to champion CIISA’s work and encourage industry buy-in to the initiative, to ensure a meaningful strategy to tackle bullying and harassment in the sector.