Paul W. Fleming
Your General Secretary
Strengthening Equity: Fighting for Fair Pay, Better Agreements, and a Secure Future
Groundbreaking negotiations in TV and film; the Stand Up for 17% campaign in the West End; independent theatre pay outstripping a decade of inflation; High Court action against Spotlight; Equity agreements for the biggest pantomime producers; surpassing £100 million in royalty distributions; tripling agreements in Scotland and Northern Ireland; industrial fightback across opera; an unprecedented members insurance package.
Equity’s membership is higher than ever.
These wins happened during my first term, but belong to Equity’s members and activists. I’m proud to be nominated by Equity Council, a majority of committee chairs, across the professions we represent and the whole country — aged 19 to 90.
As General Secretary I’ve focussed resources on members’ priorities: doubling our offices outside London, recruiting new dedicated staff for audio, streaming, singers, dance, and variety. Our communications are beautiful and have record reach. Our conferences are the best attended and most representative ever.
In a second term, I’ll build on this record. Theatre pay must surpass pre-pandemic levels. TV, film, and audio agreements for actors, supporting artists, and stunt members must regulate AI and work for the age of streaming. TV commercials negotiations, restarted after 30 years, must deliver an agreement. Equity must fight drama school audition fees, and tackle endemic venue closures caused by government inaction and greedy developers.
I’ve always stood with members to build a pragmatic union with a radical vision. If you re-elect me, I’ll fight as hard as ever for the industry, and society, Equity members deserve.