WGGB supports all members in their business as writers, regardless of what they believe or create, as long as it is lawful. Our approach to protecting freedom of expression and preventing harassment and threats can be found here and is summarised below:

  • We support the right of all writers to hold and express opinions.
  • We condemn violence and the threat of violence unequivocally.
  • We condemn any kind of racist or hate speech.

While we support the use of specific written codes of conduct to prevent bullying and harassment, we stand against:

  • Attempts to restrict or prevent collective bargaining and other legitimate trade union activity.
  • Political interference in UK funding bodies and their funding allocation process.
  • Censorship and the removal of legal content from scripts, venues, platforms and storefronts.
  • Pressure to change work for reasons of political expediency or to appease potential funders.
  • Attempts to curtail the legitimate political activity of writers, including the critique of Government policy.
  • The so-called ‘blacklisting’ of writers because of their perceived political positions.

In particular, we are concerned about and wholeheartedly oppose an increase in the use of:

  • Anti-union contractual clauses.
  • Vague contractual clauses on the prevention of ‘reputational damage’.
  • Contractual clauses on ‘morality’, ‘blasphemy’ and other subjective behaviours as a condition of funding or commission.
  • The prohibition of legal comment on third-party sponsors as a condition of funding or commission.
  • The prohibition of legal, peaceful protest as a condition of funding or commission.
  • The prohibition of political activity (including trade union activities or the critique of Government policy) as a condition of funding or commission.

Action for members:

  • If you believe you are experiencing censorship, please contact the WGGB immediately.
  • If you see any of the above in your contracts, ask your agent to ‘strike them out’ and contact WGGB.

Action for funders, broadcaster and producers

  • Immediately remove anti-union clauses from contracts.
  • Immediately remove inappropriate morality and blasphemy clauses from contracts.
  • Immediately remove any guidance that attempts to restrict the lawful political activity of writers.
  • Engage with WGGB to agree fair contractual terms for writers.

Action for Government

WGGB calls on Government to:

  • Mandate that all cultural bodies in the UK who receive public funding (for example, Arts Council England, BFI, BBC) implement proactive policies to protect artistic freedom, free from political interference, or interference by corporate or other private interest.
  • Introduce accountability measures for those cultural bodies on artistic freedom, covering (but not limited to) funding decisions, editorial frameworks and guidelines and reputational risk management.
  • Work with WGGB and other trade unions in drawing up guidance for publicly funded cultural bodies (and cultural organisations who receive their funds) on protecting the artistic freedom of cultural workers.
  • Where cultural bodies receive their funding from devolved governments (eg Screen Scotland, Arts Council of Wales) we call on those devolved governments to introduce similar mandates and accountability measures and work with WGGB and other trade unions on guidance.
  • To take measures to ensure that counter-terrorism and/or other pieces of legislation, are not used to suppress legitimate freedom of expression or peaceful protest.
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