The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has issued a new directive to its members advising them not to accept WGA work in event of a strike in the U.S.
The advice came via a motion from the WGGB’s executive council.
In a statement, the WGGB said: “In light of the Writers Guild of America’s ongoing contract negotiations, including the recent announcement of a Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) from 11-17 April 2023, the WGGB’s Executive Council has supported the following motion: ‘The WGGB support the WGA in their ongoing negotiations. If a strike cannot be avoided, we will advise our membership not to work on projects within the jurisdiction of the WGA for the duration of the strike in line with our IAWG agreements.’”
“We will provide further briefings to members should WGA strike action appear imminent,” the British Guild continued. “In the meantime, if members have questions or concerns, they should contact WGGB Head Office.”
Thomas McLaughlin, who chairs IAWG, an international group made of writers’ guilds across the world, recently told Variety: “Collectively, the IAWG member guilds represent approximately 55,000 professional film and television writers from Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain who stand in solidarity with the WGA and will not perform struck work by acting as scab labor.”
The decision from the WGGB’s executive council will make it harder for U.S. companies hoping to side-step any potential strike action by moving production to Britain.
British Writers’ Guild Urges Members Not to Accept WGA Work in Event of Strike
