Australian soap stars go on strike

Australian soap opera stars walked off their sets today in a one day strike to protest at pay rates and conditions.

Daily shows like Neighbours and Home and Away were most likely to be badly affected by the action because of their tight production schedules.

“The last thing actors want to do is strike. It is complete anathema to us,” said actor Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr Karl Kennedy in Neighbours.

But he added: “If we do not fight for this now, there is a good chance we would never get it.”

Weekend work bans will also be in place from Saturday, and union officials said actors would consider further strikes if producers refused to compromise.

“It is not a decision performers take lightly, but the producers don’t seem to understand just how angry performers are,” said Simon Whipp of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance union.

“We hope the producers come to their senses and agree to our very moderate proposals so that prolonged industrial action can be avoided and we can all get back to work.”

Eight months of talks with producers reached a stalemate earlier this month over performers’ demands for new pay rates, more certainty about the duration of contracts and the removal of caps on their royalties.

“The fact is, producers simply do not want to share financial success with the performers who make it happen,” Whipp said.