COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES

• Camera Branch condensed safety info: 10+10 – what to ASK & what to DO
• Camera Branch anonymous COVID-19 Safety Reporting Form
  Open to both members & non-members to report concerns about health & safety with regard to Covid-19. The branch will be monitoring this closely – however any member who has immediate concerns or needs to talk to an official should contact BECTU directly on covid19@bectu.org.uk or call 020 7346 0900 during office hours.
• BECTU Need to know page on returning to work.
• BECTU Guidelines for Features & TV Drama
• BECTU Guidelines for Factual, Entertainment and Outside Broadcast
• BECTU OB Network COVID guidance
• British Film Commission Film and High-end TV Drama guidance
• APA Guidelines for Commercials
• BECTU / APA Joint statement on COVID-19 testing
• Government guidance for reporting of coronavirus incidents in the workplace. Under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013), your employer is obliged to report a ‘dangerous occurrence’ if an unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus, and must also report any actual cases or deaths that happen as a result.
• Joint Statement from Camera Branch, the BSC, the ACO, & the GBCT, 12th May 2020.
• Letter from Spencer MacDonald, the National Secretary of BECTU, outlining the union’s approach to Covid-19 safety, 4th May 2020.

CONTRACTS & RATES

● Bectu Unfair Contractual Terms Reporting Tool – use this to let Bectu know about unreasonable contract changes with regard to Covid-19.

● Bectu Covid-19 Return-to-Work Rates Monitoring Tool – let Bectu know if employers are asking for lower rates as you go back to work.

TRAINING

● Screenskills Coronavirus Basic Awareness training – free on-line learning module, takes approximately 1 hour to complete.

● Screenskills Safe Return to Set seminars:

• Film Craft Focus: ‘Mothering Sunday’ (more focused on Art & Costume Dep’ts) 19th August
• A Focus on High-end TV Dramas 2nd September

GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

• FAQ – SELF-EMPLOYED INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME
• Note – HMRC now have an on-line eligibility checker for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme here.
• FAQ – CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME  (‘furlough’ for PAYE workers)
• News for Directors of Ltd Companies 5th March 2020
• BECTU’s main COVID-19 page
• NEWS: what BECTU is doing for freelancers
• Template letter for PAYE workers asking to be put on furlough (updated 06/04/20)
• BECTU’s submission to the Treasury 30/03/20
• Letter to 100s of film & TV production companies, 31/03/20

LINKS FROM ELSEWHERE:

• The Chair of the Treasury Select Committee wrote to the Chancellor on 8th April, highlighting the way so many of us are falling through the gaps. This tell us that BECTU’s lobbying is working – their response is here.
• TV Watercooler ‘Coronavirus Hall of Fame’ – a list of those TV production companies who have done the right thing and furloughed their PAYE freelancers. If you worked PAYE for one of these companies in Feb, get in touch with them now!
• Screenskills: Free Remote Training during lockdown
• Announcing the COVID-19 Hardship Fund for freelancers | The Rory Peck Trust
• Joint statement from the Federation of Entertainment Unions (Bectu, Equity, the Musicians’ Union, NUJ & the Writers’ Guild).
• COVID-19: Answering questions from the screen sectors | BFI
• Universal Credit
• Government advice about Coronavirus
• Lastly this made us feel a bit better about the future 🙂