This section contains information and documentation on key industry agreements. These agreements are the result of collective bargaining between BECTU — the union for film and TV crew — and Pact, APA and the BBC.

Together, they provide a framework for how freelance crew should be treated on the majority of productions across the UK setting expectations around working hours, pay structures, overtime, and conditions on set. They are designed to create consistency across productions, protect crew welfare, and help ensure sustainable working practices in the industry.

BECTU encourages all productions and crew members to work in accordance with these agreements. They represent a vital tool in supporting fair working conditions, and understanding them is an important part of empowering yourself as a freelancer.

📄 About the BECTU Locations Rate Card

The BECTU Locations Rate Card is a guide to support freelance location department crew — including Location Managers, Assistant Location Managers, Unit Managers, Marshals, and Coordinators — in setting fair and consistent rates across the industry.

These rates are based on data from working members and are updated regularly. While not part of a formal agreement with producers, this card represents the minimum that members are encouraged to work for.

🧭 What This Rate Card Is For

• ✅ A collective standard: It helps prevent undercutting and establishes a baseline across productions.

• ✅ A negotiation tool: Use it to confidently push for fair pay, backed by your union and your peers.

• ✅ A marker of solidarity: When more crew stick to these rates, the whole department becomes harder to ignore.

⚠️ What It’s Not

• ❌ It’s not legally binding — productions are not obliged to follow it.

• ❌ It’s not a ceiling — you can always negotiate above the rates listed based on experience, role complexity, or scale of production.

The stronger our collective position, the harder it is to drive rates down.

Use this card. Share it. Stick to it. And if you’re being pressured to accept less, speak to the branch — you’re not on your own.