Ken Loach says Britain’s leading film and television union is letting down vulnerable workers as four members protest against management

EXCLUSIVE: Ken Loach said the UK’s biggest film and television union was at risk of sacking vulnerable workers in the industry as years of tension with the labor rights group came to a head.

The well-known socialist filmmaker said Prospect, which merged with Bectu in 2017, had failed to act in the best interests of its members after four women left the union’s top committee in protest against management.

The Kes And The wind that shakes the barley The director said there had been a “clash of cultures” in the union after the merger which he said had “damaged” Bectu’s identity.

Loach, a member of Bectu and its previous incarnations for 60 years, did not support the merger, and voiced the concerns of others who had doubts about the merger.

Tensions boiled over earlier this month when three Bectu members resigned from Prospect’s National Executive Committee (NEC), a group that oversees the union’s work. This followed the resignation of a fourth Bectu member last October.

Sources familiar with NEC’s dismissal said there were disputes over budgets, access to information and disciplinary action against Bectu members found guilty of breaching union rules. Sources said the women were portrayed as “troublemakers” while holding Prospect decision-makers, including general secretary Mike Clancy, to account.

Prospect said Bectu members voted overwhelmingly to merge in 2016 and the union has flourished under their leadership, with membership growing by more than a third to 37,000. Prospect added that it had reduced Bectu’s financial uncertainty and invested in the union, making it the “biggest and most influential of all time in its proud history.”

Loach: Bectu members must speak the truth

Loach told Deadline that Prospect appears to be more focused on increasing membership than protecting film and television workers from potential exploitation.

“Our idea of ​​a union is one where members are in control,” he said. “Officials seem more interested in control than working with members and actually implementing members’ wishes. Officials care more about telling us what to do than listening to what we say.”

Loach added: “People in the industry are very vulnerable. There are many young people who are desperate for experience and this exposes them to exploitation. People join Bectu because they see the need for a union, especially younger members. We need a clear voice so that all members can trust that this is their union.”

Loach, winner of the Palme d’Or for I, Daniel Blakesaid he had first-hand experience of the split between Prospect and Bectu.

Sources said he made a personal complaint in 2021 after a Prospect official tweeted that he was anti-Semitic following his suspension from the Labor Party. Loach was a supporter of former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was criticized for not addressing anti-Jewish sentiment in the political party.

Loach argued that the prospect’s tweet was defamatory. The officer later apologized, saying his comments were “inappropriate and without reason”. Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said at the time that it was “not Prospect’s way” for officers to attack the union’s own members.

BAFTA winner Loach said the four women who left NEC had been “trying to make it work for a long time” but had finally found it “difficult”. Deadline knows the identities of those who quit, but all four declined to comment, asking to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. They remain Bectu members.

Sources said there are cultural differences at the NEC. Those retiring work in the creative industries, while other members of the NEC come from sectors such as nuclear power, defense and state forestry.

“They don’t have a van full of creatives,” a source said. This person acknowledged that members of the film and television industry are a “powerful group” known for their journalistic rigor in internal debates, but said it was unfair to suggest they were “uncontrollable”.

Bectu is the largest sector within Prospect, but is at risk of being under-represented in the NEC following the resignations. There is no guarantee that the women will be replaced by Bectu members. Only two of the 30-strong NEC currently come from the creative sector.

Internal discontent was also reflected in the proposals made for the upcoming Bectu conference in May, according to a document seen by Deadline.

Members of the Writers, Producers and Directors branch called for a “comprehensive review” of Bectu and Prospect’s relationship. Another proposal, later withdrawn, said Bectu would have to prepare a report on Prospect’s “spin-off” because it was “unwilling to engage fully with Bectu’s industry members and their representatives.”

Outlook: We are proud of Bectu

A source close to Prospect admitted that things had not gone smoothly since the merger, but they said internal disagreements between unions were not unusual and many positive results had emerged from the partnership.

Clancy and Bectu boss Philippa Childs are said to have a good working relationship. Clancy’s decision to keep the Bectu brand alive was welcomed by many. Childs has been praised for campaigning against the privatization of Channel 4, promoting the rights of freelancers and tackling bullying and harassment in film and television.

A spokesperson for Prospect said: “Prospect’s Bectu sector is one of the fastest growing parts of the trade union movement, with a new generation of freelancers and self-employed people taking part in shaping the future of the industry.

“We are proud of Bectu’s growth, profile and impact in the creative industries and of the leadership roles we have played in, for example, protecting public broadcasting, advocating cuts in the arts and both for freelancers and employees during and after the pandemic.

“Bectu members voted by a large majority to become part of Prospect, which happened in 2017. Since then we have improved and invested in Bectu as a key part of Prospect, and it is now the largest and most influential ever. in its proud history.

“Becoming part of Prospect has helped to stabilize the financial stress Bectu has been facing and has expanded both management and member support since 2017.”