I’m a working screenwriter with more than two decades of experience on UK shows such as Call the Midwife, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Fat Friends. I’m also chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), a union that represents about 3,000 writers across TV, film, theatre, books, video games and radio. Today, we’re joining colleagues from over 20 countries in a Global Day of Solidarity, organised by the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.
Screenwriters in the US have warned that their profession is increasingly being reduced to a gig economy. Despite the streaming boom producing hundreds of new TV shows, media conglomerates and streamers seem only too willing to sacrifice workers’ rights for their bottom line, using the transition to streaming as an excuse to cut writer pay and erode working conditions.
