Wellington film crews in large anti-union march

Wellington film crews in large anti-union march

by Pattrick Smellie

Oct. 20 (BusinessDesk) – Film production company owners and workers took to the streets of Wellington tonight to demand an end to the influence of the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance on the future of Sir Peter Jackson’s green-lit two movie adaptation of “The Hobbit”.

On a day billed by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions as a national day of action for union members, the anti-union parade included numerous banners calling for an end to the influence of the Australian arts and entertainment union, the MEAA, on its New Zealand affiliate, Actors Equity.

A crowd of approximately 500 marched to Parliament, led by multi-Academy Award winner Richard Taylor, head of Weta Workshops. Earlier in the day, a far smaller crowd marched in support of the trade union day of action.

Many in the crowd carried placards denouncing the role of the Sydney-based executive director of the Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Simon Whipp, in threatening production of The Hobbit in New Zealand.

“It’s the end of the industry,” said one senior Park Road Post executive.

Protestors, who included many veteran industry production company owners and crew, appeared to believe that Warner Bros, the films’ financial backer, has already decided to shoot the film elsewhere. The film project received a funding confirmation late last week.

Warners have been courted by bids from Eastern European and other low-cost film industries since New Zealand Actors Equity appeared to call for a boycott of the films by actors’ union members in Australia, the U.S., Canada, and Britain.

Actors Equity has denied the existence of such a boycott, but the claim has stuck, and talks have been occurring behind closed doors. The NZCTU has been assisting the local union branch, which was deregistered during the dispute after failing to file three years of annual returns.

(BusinessDesk) 21:18:06

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