Association of Live Event Riggers

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Yesterday was a historic day in Rigging.

For the first time in the history of Rock’n’Roll and Live Events the Riggers formed a Union and had their first AGM.

Well done and thank you to all involved.

This is now a thing.
It has happened!
It has begun!

A committee has been voted in composed of:
Damian Courage (Co-chair)
Ade Stead (Co-chair)
Tom Charlesworth (Secretary)
Jay Call
Toby Rouse
Dave Oldham
Kristian Evans

There are still more places available on the committee, and we would welcome more diverse representation.

The objectives to improve rates and conditions for Riggers working in Live Events has been agreed upon.

A survey is to be produced to gain feedback on everyone’s views, opinions, concerns and rates.

The next branch meeting will be on Wednesday 12th January at 1500h

If you are a Rigger, get involved.
Join the Union and join the discussion!

Remember this is for YOU!

NLER first AGM info:

Join Get 25% off Bectu membership this week by signing up today.

Join us now! https://www.bectu.org.uk/join

What Riggers have to say about unionising and Bectu...

“As a rigger I’ve joined Bectu because it feels like the only chance to have our voices listened to, our concerns acted upon and to try and effect some positive much needed change in a fragmented industry.
It’s the right time to organise and join together after what the industry has been through.”

“The bit we do is so small in comparison to the whole “thing”, but so important and critical without the very specific skills and knowledge that we have none of the “thing” happens at all”

“This is the single best chance for riggers across the country to unite to best represent their interests and concerns.”

“Our labour and our time is not a negotiable commodity. We do the same job for the same price, that’s what it costs. Or it costs nothing to not have it done at all!”

“I joined NLER with Bectu so we as a rigging community can move forward together.
To see to it that as a unit our necessities can be addressed then attended to in an orderly and progressive fashion and professional manner”

“This is your union, this is us.”

“This is my branch, there are many others like it, but this one is mine!”

“How relevant are we?
An example of what having a strong union behind you can mean in the real world...
(In this case The Musicians Union)
I’ve watched an entire orchestra at the RAH finish playing and start to leave before the show had finished, because their hours were up and they knew there was no overtime!
How relevant to the show was the orchestra, do you think?
How relevant to the show was the rigging?”

“I’m fed up of people taking what I do for granted, assuming it is simply something that just happens!
I want people to better understand what I do, to envy what I do and to respect what I do.
I want kids to grow up saying “I want to be a rigger!”

bectu.org.uk/join

National Live Event Riggers

In addition to being a member of a new and exciting branch of a Bectu, joining over 40,000 workers in the media and entertainment industries.
Here are some of the additional benefits of joining for both freelance and full-time riggers.

- Cheap Public Liability (up to £10,000,000) and Personal Accident Insurance for only £40/year.

- Help to negotiate pay, terms and conditions.

- Free expert advice. Bectu is uniquely placed to assist with problems at work. Workplace knowledge and combined legal expertise, provides an invaluable service ranging from initial advice through to legal representation at court.

- As well as work-related advice and support, your Bectu membership gives you access to a high-quality, responsive and effective range of non-work related legal services.
• LegalLine: 24-hour telephone hotline giving free initial legal advice on any non- employment legal issues
• Personal injury: where an accident or illness is due to the negligence of the employer or a third party
• Clinical negligence
• Criminal injuries compensation
• Regulatory and criminal: criminal offences arising in the workplace and in the course of
official duties
• Welfare benefits
• Plus discounted services on conveyancing and property, matrimonial, family and childcare,
probate and later life.

- Free Will writing

- Financial advice.

- Legal fees paid. If Bectu members get unfairly made redundant, fired, or discriminated against, they’ll pay the legal fees.

- Career support. Bectu gives you exclusive access to training, mentoring and networking. They have a dedicated training team and provide regular opportunities for networking and mentoring.

- Health and dental plans give you money back on everyday medical expenses not covered by the NHS, such as trips to the optician, dentist, physiotherapist and much more.

- Members enjoy discounts on University College of Osteopathy (UCO) clinic appointment fees, providing access to high quality osteopathic care at an affordable rate at the largest osteopathic teaching clinic in Europe.

- Volkswagen Van Discounts. From 7% to 20% on a great range of commercial vehicles, including for example 20% discount on a VW Transporter.

- BFI Membership discount.

- Benevolent Fund and Death benefit scheme.

- University discounts.

- Discounts at Apple, Foyles, The Cinema Society, Hotpoint, Vision Express, Sainsbury’s, 3, EE, and more. Including Gym, Spa and Golf memberships, car and motorhome rentals, breakdown, car insurance. Snack box and magazine subscriptions. And loads more.

Join us today and help make a difference.

bectu.org.uk/join

Join us!



https://www.bectu.org.uk/join

National Live Event Riggers are in TPi!

https://www.tpimagazine.com/bectu-launches-national-live-event-riggers-branch/

Bectu launches National Live Event Riggers branch — TPi A new Bectu branch has been set up by members, marking the first time that live events riggers have unionised as a group in the UK. The National Live Event Riggers branch will serve as a forum to address and discuss issues that concern riggers and the wider live events sector. The branch has been [....

JOIN US NOW!

Join the National Live Event Riggers branch of Bectu!

Now is the time to help make a difference.
Rigging is one of the most essential but often overlooked sector in modern live events.

Our industry is busier than ever and Riggers are currently in high demand.
Riggers are under increasing pressure to deliver demanding, technically sophisticated events under increasingly tight schedules, sometimes in poor working conditions.

Conditions are diminishing, with such things as; affordable parking at venues, basic welfare, lack of crew rooms, and even access to drinking water, often being overlooked.

There are also huge inconsistencies in the length of the working shift, great differences in rates of pay, and an unnecessary disparity between the Up-Rigger rates and the Ground-Rigger rates has been allowed to evolve.
Furthermore, there are currently great inconsistencies in the contribution towards travel costs across the country.

We have experienced stagnated wages over the last decade. As the cost of living has risen, and now continues to rise at a greater rate, our skills have become vastly undervalued.
We have, until recently, been a very fragmented community.

This Union will help build our community and help improve standards and conditions within rigging.

NOW is the time to gather together as a professional body.

NOW is the time to unite together.

NOW is the time to stand together, and say enough is enough.

We will make changes to how our members are respected.

We will strive for improvement and consistency in the rates and conditions across the country.

We will restore our profession back to the enviable and respected career it once was.

Join NOW and have your say.

We are very pleased to announce the launch of a union for riggers.

The National Live Events Riggers branch of Bectu.

This is a new and exciting development in the world of Event Rigging for now and for the future.

Bectu have created this branch specifically for us and we launch today with already an unprecedented number of members.

Join us. Now is the time for change.

Association of Live Event Riggers

Hi Toby,
Just wanted to reiterate our support and congratulate you and the team for all the hard work developing the association and it’s union connections.

DLM are just a small cog in this industry but as an independent company built by riggers from the ground up we are very aware of how vital a strong, healthy and unified rigging community is for all of us.

Not only to sustain and retain existing riggers but also to encourage and develop the talented youth needed to expand our ranks.

Raising standards, conditions, rates and the respect of the professional rigger should be the aim for all of our community.

Clients will pay what they need too, it’s up to us all to prove our value and worth…. and charge accordingly.

If there’s anything we can do to support the ALER moving forward please let me know.

Keep up the good work.

Bowie
DLM Event Services Ltd

Email from Bectu…

“Dear Bectu Live Events Riggers,

I’m an official at Bectu and I work with members who work in live events in London. A group of live events riggers in Bectu have requested that a National Live Events Rigging Branch be formed. This would mean any live events riggers in the UK would be placed in the same branch of Bectu and you can discuss issues facing your sector as one group.

If there are no objections to this branch being formed, then the process to start the branch will begin shortly and you will automatically be transferred into the new branch. If you do have an objection to this, please email me with your concerns by Friday 12th Nov at 12pm latest.

All the best,
Naomi”

Association of Live Event Riggers (ALER) call to action

Thank you everyone for showing interest and getting involved. Together we can improve conditions and standards for our industry and for ourselves, now and for the future of rigging.

Just to clarify to everyone, over the last few months there are three things that have already, or are about to be created.
1. The Rigging Community (Rigger FM)
2. The Association of Live Event Riggers (ALER)
3. The National Live Event Riggers Bectu branch

1. The Rigging Community

The Rigging Community is coming together and the Rigger FM WhatsApp Group is proving to be very popular and successful.
There have been some very important issues raised and addressed. Along with useful information about parking at venues and work being shared around amongst other stuff.
Please continue to encourage other riggers to join and build this important support network.
And Facebook users, don’t forget about the Sideloaded Shackle page (Discussions are much easier to follow on Facebook than WhatsApp!)

2. ALER

The Association of Live Event Riggers (ALER) has been established.
This group was initially a small group of riggers, not all necessarily in favour of unions, who got together to discuss the options.
We have since had several meetings with Bectu and continue to work on behalf of everyone to address issues, concerns and try to build our profession into a more professional one.
We plan to reorganise ALER very soon, including setting-up a board, chairman, vice-chairman, etc. This will allow you the riggers to volunteer and vote for the representatives you would like.
We aim to be totally inclusive and represent everyone.

But ultimately, to properly affect changes we need everyone on board. This is a numbers game. WE need to come together and unite so everyones voice is heard.
Which brings us to Bectu.

3. Bectu

As an already established union body, with a Live Event branch. This is the one for us.
We would like every rigger to join Bectu.
ALER are currently in the process of creating a National Live Event Riggers branch for us within Bectu.

This is happening, but unfortunately things take time. This is not a rock’n’roll load-in and Rome wasn’t built in a day.

However, Bectu have a promotion running this week with 25% discount for new members.
We do not want anyone to miss out on this offer.
Thats only £90 for the first years membership!
Combined with the subsidised Public Liability Insurance of £40… That’s a years PLI and union membership for only £130!

**Please note the Union Week discount has now expired, but for new members, there is still the introductory rate of £10 per month for the first year**

What to do next?

Join Bectu.
(https://bectu.org.uk/join/)

Then email Naomi Taylor ([email protected]) and let her know you are a “Live Event Rigger”

This is the call to action!
The time to act is now!
This is the moment to really come together and get things sorted the way we want them to be for now and for the future.
This is for YOU, this is for US!

Union FAQ!

There have been many questions about unionisation, here we tackle a few for you.

Q - What will a union do for my rates?
A - A union can help establish standards and norms, and from that a rate card can be created.

Q - What powers does a union have?
A - As part of a union, you have access to various legal resources and advice. However the greatest power lies in the volume of members. The more members from the start, the faster changes can begin to happen,.

Q - Will a union restrict my hours?
A - No. A union represents its members collective wishes. There is the Working Time Directive, but anyone can legally opt out (or in) from this. You should keep in mind your hours worked an d hours rested as a personal duty of care to yourself and others.

Q - How much does it cost?
A - BECTU is £7.50 per month for your first year as a new member if you join between the 1st and 7th November during Union Week. It is normally £10 per month for the first year. After that it’s 1% of salary for employees, and 1% of everything you invoice for freelancers. However there is a cap of £33.33 per month.

Q - Is BECTU’s PLI any good given it’s cheap?
A - Yes it is, the insurance is subsidised for members. When taking out any insurance policy, it is your responsibility to ensure it meets your specific needs.

Further information:

BECTU already exists and represents workers in our sector.

Joining BECTU has a number of potential benefits:
They are an established group with infrastructure to handle problems and issues. They have experience and resources to do this effectively. They can provide a whole bunch of resources and services to their members such as insurance, advice, training and benefits.

They will only be able to help members so as many riggers as possible need to join which would enable them to have an influential voice within our industry. At that point they would be in a position to approach employers on behalf of those members to address the kind of issues identified as a concern.

They are not a “cure all” solution. Membership doesn’t guarantee anything but when enough riggers joined it would give them a powerful voice.

If there are any other questions, comment below, or message the ALER page, and we will find out the answer, this is for YOU, this is for EVERYONE!

**Please note that the Union Week promotion has now expired, however the £10 per month introductory rate still applies for new members**

https://bectu.org.uk/join/

The Association of Live Event Riggers (ALER) feels that it needs greater diversity and representation to be totally inclusive and represent all riggers working in the UK.

Currently, the group has a strong representation from white, male riggers working in London and the South of England.
There are also representatives from the North of England and Wales.
But we would like to expand on this to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.
If anyone is interested and/or feels under-represented we would like to hear from you.

An update from the Association of Live Event Riggers

Following ALER’s open letter there has been an overwhelmingly positive response and interaction with many wanting to know what is going on and what will happen next.

Firstly, We are the Association of Live Event Riggers (We are not a Union), We are hoping that with enough ALER supporters conjoining with BECTU that we can open our own Branch within the BECTU ranks. With this we may move forward with the support and expertise of an already well-established Union to take us forward in an organised and civil way to define our future as Live Events Riggers. Support, join and help yourself and others.

Secondly, we would like to address a question that has been asked which is why the group has remained anonymous.
The simple truth is that when this working group was formed it was in no way clear what, if anything, would be decided and whether we could all agree. As such, anonymity was necessary to avoid the possibility of anyone being associated with something that they did not agree on.

As some have supposed, there was also an initial concern that our actions may be viewed by some as a threat and adversely affect our own businesses. We no longer feel that to be the case.
It is not our intention to go against employers at all. We are seeking a path which requires cooperation and good working relationships between Freelancers, Employees and Employers. A number in this group act in both capacities.

Our aim has been to offer what we view as a viable option to our peers and colleagues in the hope that you too will agree and come on board. We appreciate that what we are suggesting is not perfect and that the road ahead will be long but we firmly believe that it is the best route forward if we genuinely wish to see our industry thrive.

It was never our intention to set ourselves up as leaders going forward, but to try to find a path for our industry with the aim of improving conditions, professionalism and standards whilst also addressing some of the inequalities we see across the different regions of the UK.

We all hope that, if enough people come onboard, we will see the formation of an Association with BECTU and ALER which would allow anyone who wishes to put themselves forward to act in formal positions and represent the group.

Q – What if employers get upset and start creating a blacklist?
A – As above, this isn’t about tackling anyone head to head. Further to that, if most riggers join the association, then everyone would be blacklisted, and there would be nobody to call to install rigging! Everyone will work together as we always have, there is no need for employer animosity.

Q – Won’t we have working time restrictions imposed on us?
A – No, if there’s a Union, it’s your union, it’s everybody’s Union, it will be what you/all want it to be. You can as a Freelancer opt out of the Working Time Directive.

Q – Is there a manifesto of any description?
A – Not yet, there are plans for one, but there’s lots to cover. The group are working riggers, and are doing all this in their spare time. However, people are welcome to make contact through the “Send Message” button on the Association of Live Events Riggers page, and make any kind of suggestion they wish – this is for Riggers, Riggers should be able, and are encouraged to become involved at any level they wish. Input is valuable, from Riggers Employers, Venues and other Associations. Every contact will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, respect and consideration.

Q – So what happens next?
A – There are ongoing talks with BECTU to ensure that whatever comes next is right for Riggers and Suppliers. An information post on the benefits of Union membership will be coming, you can visit the BECTU web site for yourself to see many of the benefits. It is hoped that information and a formal call to action will be available soon, Although it must be said that any changes won’t happen overnight. Remember Rome was not built in a day like a rock and roll load in and out! The changes people want, need to be collected, examined, then the people who can help with the changes need to be approached. What will help speed this change is having actual numbers of Riggers join BECTU and voice their desire to be members of the ALER Branch to BECTU as many already have. There needs to many Live Event Riggers as members of BECTU to add voice. When the voice is clearly heard, the changes will start happening.

In the meantime, please do like and share the page, it will help massively with visibility. All the updates will come through the Association of Live Riggers. If you haven’t already done so, please consider joining the Facebook group, Rigger FM @ The Sideloaded Shackle, and have discussions with other Riggers. These discussions can then be seen and fed back in to what the Association can be. Chatting with a couple of people during a stop on doesn’t get heard, public discussion will, and of course, you can always message us with any feedback from off-group discussions.

Stay tuned! Please get in touch! Be involved! More will come in due course, there are more meetings and discussions coming with BECTU. In the meantime, there is now an opportunity to register your interest and intent in joining, please see the separate post about this. There is a box on the site for you to put any additional information you wish as well as messaging through the Association’s page.

All the best!

Peran Odgers, Jay Call, Toby Rouse, David Oldham, Phil Tickle, Ali Morris, Kristian Evans.

On behalf of the Association of Live Event Riggers

Welcome to the Association of Live Event Riggers

An open letter to all working riggers in the UK:

The Live Event industry has defined its existence during the pandemic. Thanks to campaigns like , we are now emerging as a seen industry, not the invisible army who make events happen.

Since then, behind the scenes has been a small group of people who want to build a rigging community in the UK. A WhatsApp group was created at Reading Festival for the teams to communicate between the different stages, and shortly after a Facebook group was formed – Rigger FM @ The Sideloaded Shackle. This group is for riggers working in the UK to use as they wish, chat, available shifts, anything at all.

The group decided that it was a good time to improve standards for all riggers, small but important things like water provision, and appropriate breaks for the job being carried out. As a group, many avenues of how to proceed were discussed, a stand-alone new association was considered, as were other existing bodies. As none of the group have any previous experience in running a representative body, we discounted starting from the ground up. After much discussion, it was decided to speak to BECTU as an existing Union with great success in the theatrical sector, and how BECTU specialises in individuals, rather than companies.

BECTU were keen to engage with us, so a meeting was arranged, and a list of questions, queries and concerns collated to present to them, and we are pleased to say that every single point was able to be addressed. Over the course of the pandemic on the UK Live Event Freelancers Forum, many said the freelance movement should unionise. There were many who pushed back at the idea, and weak replies when asked the benefits of a union. We put these arguments to BECTU.

One of the most common questions is, “What will a union do for me?”. The default answer from many was, “You are the union, it is what you put in.”. We can report that this isn’t untrue, but it’s not all there is to it. A more accurate description would be that a union is us. Union members are the ones who need to drive change. Being in a union allows riggers to push for change with the weight of an established body behind them. A union and its representatives can approach employers, venues and clients to put forward reasonable demands, and help negotiate implementation. It is then down to members to help reinforce the requests.

From this first meeting with BECTU, it has become apparent that many live event riggers may already be members of BECTU. We would now like to expand the number of riggers in to BECTU, and form a branch containing all live event riggers. Once this process has started, representatives can volunteer or be nominated to formally steer and expand the branch, and in turn, start driving change, improvements, and professionalism within our discipline.

Over the coming days, there will be a webpage where riggers can confidentially register interest in joining us, forming a strong Association of Live Event Riggers. There will also be an anonymous comments box (with a choice to leave contact details to get in touch) to provide feedback, this will allow the Association and BECTU to create what riggers in the UK want to see from a representative body.

Please watch this space for further updates. People are working hard behind the scenes on your behalf to make rigging the best it can be. Further information will be on BECTU membership, fees, and information on their PLI and other benefits.

Thank you all for taking the time to read through this, let’s make it count for a better future.