Union calls on unscripted workers to reveal instances of harassment

Bectu is returning to its anti-bullying campaign by amplifying the voices of those in unscripted who have experienced workplace harassment and poor behaviour on set.

The Unscripted TV Union, which is Bectu’s unscripted branch, is asking workers to anonymously submit accounts of industry bullying, with a plan to highlight them through a campaign beginning next week (15 November).

The body said it still receives weekly calls about bad behaviour, despite its 2020 campaign successfully exposing several issues.

Individuals’ names and personal details will be protected, and those submitting are urged not to include identifiable elements in their testimony.

The accounts will be shared across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Unscripted TV Union blog.

“Six months on after the allegations about Noel Clarke, we are still faced with the need for urgent action from production companies and broadcasters to challenge bullying in TV,” the union said in its call. “Amplifying the voices of workers effected is central to the solution.”

The TV industry is attempting to get to grips with workplace bullying and harassment after several high-profile incidents emerged, with an industry-wide Action List for the Film Television Industries initiative launching earlier this year to provide tools for employers to stop bad behaviour.