Share Peanuts = Monkeys

March 3rd, 2010 |

As some of you know I was associated with the backstage environs of theatre for a lot of years and it was recently brought to my attention that the pay for doing an eight hour shift or a “get-out” - in certain theatres - is just the national minimum wage instead of the TMA rate.

So what? I hear some of you ask. There is a heck of a difference, I shout! Min wage is £5.80 an hour which is just below the Grade 5 wage of £5.92ph of the TMA but the majority would be paid the Grade 1 or 2 rate of £7.43 / £6.78 - the difference of about 12 quid over an eight hour day.

When it comes to the “get-out” the difference is enormous. The rate for this is £40.78 per hour - and so it should be as it is not just a case of humping boxes onto a waggon but one of technical skills honed over years of doing similar work.

The “get-out” I was told of started at 11pm and went through until 7am the next morning. Wage = £46 (less tax). It should have been … £326.

Is it any wonder that The Stage reports that “‘Cracks beginning to show’ with industry skills shortage” when this is the rate of pay being offered? You pay peanuts and you get monkeys and those monkeys will not give a rats ass when it comes to stripping a set and loading it onto a vehicle and have little or no technical or safety skills.

The infuriating thing is that the visiting company pay the wage bill for the “get-out”… at TMA rate. Stage crew (x10) wages £460; bill to visiting company £3260. Nice earner for the theatres.

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