Whilst BECTU historically has had strong representation in both the Broadcast and Theatre sectors, Live Events have largely remained under-represented. Here at NLEN this is something that we intend to change, the Live Events Network was formed in 2017 to give a voice for workers of any type in the live events industry.
Since its formation we have opened branches in London, Scotland and the North of England. With workers currently forming a branch in South West England too, we are excited to be nearing a fully operational, active, event industry trade union covering most of the UK.
Having only formed in September 2020 we are still small however we are growing rapidly and are expecting to expand dramatically over the next few years, we would love you to be a part of it.
What are we doing?
Short term:
- Campaign and lobby for every worker in the events industry to be given fair and consistent financial support throughout the Covid 19 pandemic
- Support workers affected by the Covid 19 through help retraining, developing transferable skills and sharing job opportunities
Long term:
- Empower workers with a collective voice
- Ensure safety and competency in the workplace
- Develop rate cards for fair and equal pay
- Actively improve diversity, inclusivity and equality
- Address mental health issues prevalent in the industry
- Provide skill sharing and networking platforms
- Support professional development
- Provide business and tax advice
This branch is for everyone who works in Live Events, from crew to security, technicians to production managers and everyone between. We usually meet twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Monday at 8:30pm over zoom. This is an open meeting for members and non members with no obligation for regular attendance, just come along if and when you choose, everyone is always welcome!
If you are interested in what we’re doing email us north@liveeventsnetwork.org explaining a little about yourself (where you work, where you are you based etc) and how you would like to get involved.
Whilst 2020 was a dire year for the live events industry and 2021 looks set to suffer similar challenges, this is an opportunity to re-shape our working practices and norms, to make our industry a better place to work in for years to come. We would love for you to be a part of it.
Myles Hayden
BECTU – Northern Live Events Network Coordinator