Chilean actors union plans strike for Monday

The Chilean television actors association, Chileactores, is planning to go on strike, beginning Monday, Nov. 7, after a meeting in court between Chilean actors and television executives ended in a deadlock Thursday. Twelve-hundred members of the union are prepared to participate in the strike in an effort to receive payment for the rebroadcasting of shows.

Actors in Chile have been fighting for payments since April, when actors went on strike for similar reasons.

The crux of the guild’s argument is that they are guaranteed residual payments from the re-airing of television shows, according to Law 20,243. They believe the law affords them 1 percent of profits from the syndication of programs.

The channels have collectively countered the 1 percent offer with .75 percent, and hope to have the issue resolved before Monday.

Representatives from Chilean television stations TVN, Chilevisión and Canal 13 met in court Thursday to defend their refusal to pay the actors what they are asking.

“They do not want to pay us, that is their argument,” actress Esperanza Silva told La Tercera. “Additionally, they are separate defendants, but they (the TV stations) are acting as a bloc, in collusion.”

The soon-to-be-striking actors have found support from the center-left political party Party for Democracy (PPD).

“We have supported actors and artists in general to defend their rights,” PPD Dep. Ximena Vidal told El Mostrador. “Some have been forced to move because Chile is not complying with the laws that we ourselves write.”

When the strike beings Monday, production of many of the series and soap opera-style “telenovelas” produced by TVN, Chilevisión and Canal 13 will be temporarily shut down.

By Stephen Shea (editor@santiagotimes.cl)

Copyright 2011 – The Santiago Times