To: Screen Industry Bosses in Ireland: producers, agents, casting directors, performers, funders and commissioners.
Open Letter to the Screen Industry in Ireland: Don't Undermine Union Agreements
Dear Screen Industry Bosses in Ireland: producers, agents, casting directors, performers, funders and commissioners,
We have witnessed an increasing trend of productions marketing themselves as “PACT/Equity equivalent”, or claiming to be “in line with Equity rates”, without providing the appropriate contracts. This is not the same as operating under an actual registered collective agreement — and the distinction matters.
We demand you use proper registered union agreements, specifically the PACT/Equity agreement in Film and TV.
What we’re asking:
To producers: Register your productions with Equity and/or PACT if in NI or a co-pro in the Republic. If you’re using Equity rates, use the full agreement. Stand behind your commitment to fair working conditions.
To agents and performers: Please refuse engagements that are not under a proper collective agreement. Insist on seeing the registered contract.
To broadcasters, commissioners, and funders: You have a role to play in ensuring that the productions you support and finance meet basic standards of fairness and legality. Ask the question: Does this production use contracts which are union endorsed and, where appropriate, registered with Equity and/or PACT.
This industry is built on the work of skilled, creative professionals. That work deserves the dignity, transparency, and security of properly negotiated and enforceable terms.
Let us not settle for “equivalent” when we deserve the real thing.
Yours sincerely,
Add your name to show your support for Genuine Union Agreements in Film & TV! Join Equity members across the country in sending a message to Screen Bosses across Ireland! We demand better in Film & TV!
Yours sincerely,
Add your name to show your support for Genuine Union Agreements in Film & TV! Join Equity members across the country in sending a message to Screen Bosses across Ireland! We demand better in Film & TV!
Why is this important?
As the screen sector in Ireland continues to grow in size, talent, and global recognition, it is more vital than ever that we uphold the standards, protections, and rights that underpin fair and sustainable working conditions for performers.
One key pillar of that protection is the use of properly registered union agreements, specifically the PACT/Equity agreement in Film and TV.
One key pillar of that protection is the use of properly registered union agreements, specifically the PACT/Equity agreement in Film and TV.
We wish to remind the industry that:
- For productions based in Northern Ireland, PACT/Equity is the appropriate agreement under which professional performers should be engaged.
- For productions in the Republic of Ireland, Irish Equity recognises the PACT/Equity agreement as its preferred agreement for co-productions.
We have witnessed an increasing trend of productions marketing themselves as “PACT/Equity equivalent”, or claiming to be “in line with Equity rates”, without providing the appropriate contracts. This is not the same as operating under an actual registered collective agreement — and the distinction matters.
In NI, without proper appropriate registration, there is no legal mechanism to ensure that productions honour agreed-upon rates or conditions, and no enforceability if those promises are broken. These productions also lack the financial safety net that a registered agreement provides, such as an escrow deposit to protect wages if funding collapses.
Even if a NI production (or co-pro in ROI) claims to pay Equity “equivalent,” it often omits crucial terms meaning the total compensation frequently falls below union standards, often excluding ongoing payments like royalties or profit shares. These may contain exploitative clauses around AI use, usage rights, or future exploitation — without proper remuneration or consent. Such contracts can create confusion among performers and agents, who may mistakenly believe they are protected under Equity terms.
Ultimately, accepting or promoting these “equivalent” agreements undermines the union’s ability to secure fair, enforceable collective terms and weakens the long-term health of our industry.