“HPI”, “Daryl Dixon” and “Marie-Antoinette” are among the 70 television productions affected by the French crew strike

As Hollywood returns to sets after the actors’ strike was resolved, the French audiovisual sector has been hit by three days of industrial action this week as film crews fight for higher wages.

Around 70 TV productions were affected by the three-day strike which started on Wednesday, including the fourth season of the TF1 hit HPI (High Intellectual Potential), spin-off of Walking Dead Daryl Dixonthe second season of Canal+ Marie Antoinette and web series France Télévision fright.

According to local media reports Daryl Dixon Most of this week was supposed to be filmed in the old town of the Breton port city of Saint-Malo, but production was halted after just one day. The series would travel with Mont Saint Michel.

A number of non-fiction programs are also popular, such as: Top chef, Capital And Relax.

The strike was called by the three largest unions of audiovisual technicians, Spiac-CGT, SNTPCT and CFTC Media+, demanding a 20 percent wage increase for all audiovisual workers in all sectors.

In a statement on its website on November 14, Spiac-CGT said the sense of anger and dismay among its members was similar to that experienced by writers and actors in the United States during the Hollywood strikes, although their industrial action would not has not been attracted attention. Media attention in the same way.

“Since 2007, workers in this sector have lost 20% of their purchasing power because it was not possible to raise minimum wages. Their working conditions have deteriorated, working hours have exploded due to the emergence of digital platforms, while they face the same job insecurity,” said Spiac-CGT.

“What until recently remained a ‘passion job’ is now turning into an increasingly restrictive and strenuous professional activity with steadily declining salaries against a backdrop of runaway inflation,” the report continued.

The strike was originally scheduled to last two days, November 15 and 6, but unions voted to extend the action to November 17 after an initial meeting on Thursday with producer and distributor organizations USPA, SPI, SPECT and SATEV were unhappy to ‘ to start setting up a strike. collective agreement.

After the meeting, the agencies announced in a joint statement that they would postpone the next meeting until December 5.

They said that at the December 6 meeting, USPA and SPI will present a proposal for a minimum salary that will take into account the economic and professional characteristics of fiction.

The producers’ organization’s statement also called on broadcasters and streamers to face the challenges of the current situation and do their part to increase crew salaries.

“The economic response to workers’ demands cannot be achieved without the efforts of all parties that contribute to the financing of the work,” says the report.

The unions were unhappy with the decision to postpone the next meeting until December 5 and with the suggestion that the wage increase proposal could set different rates depending on the type of production.

“You urgently need to listen to us,” the Spiac-CGT said in a statement announcing the third day of strike action on Friday.

The panel added that unions would not accept different wage increases for different types of programs and that it would call on teams to take further action in the coming days and weeks.