A report has revealed that employees working at UK festivals are subject to hazardous working conditions. Media and entertainment trade union Bectu’s study of 100 UK festival workers found that over two-thirds (70%) are often forced to work “extremely long hours”, which can sometimes be equivalent to 18-20 hour days. The investigation also discovered that 70% of workers found conditions to be “unhygienic”, guilty of insufficient washing facilities, overflowing, unemptied toilets and waste flooding their work site.
The study surveyed workers in roles such as stage management, lighting, sound and construction, and found forty-eight percent stressed that their mental health is impacted because of health, safety, and welfare issues. In addition, one-third of respondents regularly felt “unsafe” in their work environment. Testimonials from workers disclosed experiences of being paid less than minimum wage, verbal abuse from managers, and denied water access. One worker said that he had collapsed after suffering from heat stroke while rigging in 42-degree heat.
Despite their critical role in the festival industry, festival workers are often treated like second-class citizens. The Bectu report called for more union memberships to strengthen their influence and advocate for change. Head of Bectu, Philippa Childs explained that “Our members are highly skilled professionals without whom the live events industry would not survive.” She went on to say that “Many of the stories we heard are unfortunately commonplace and almost normalised – but no one should have to put up with these conditions.”
According to Alice Black, production manager and Bectu’s Live Events Network representative, this report revealed stories which were part of the culture within the industry and showed that the lives of the workers had not been considered. The company shows workers being essential to the festival industry, and thus mistreating them is not an option. The Bectu report is publicly accessible and can be read in full for further details
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