ITV furloughs staff working on soaps

It has been reported that staff at ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale have been furloughed as a result of the current pandemic.

The decision comes after the broadcaster halted production on both shows in response to the Government’s social distancing regulation late last month.

TheBusinessDesk.com understands that all production staff have been furloughed through the Government’s job retention scheme and will be paid in full until the end of May.

Coronation Street is made at specially built stuios in Media City in Salford.

Actors on the shows are typically self employed contractors but according to reports, Equity, the British trade union for actors, has negotiated pay for regular cast members on both shows which either meets or comes “very close to the benchmark set by the government” with its job retention scheme for employed and self employed people.

An ITV Studios spokeswoman told Broadcast: “Because the soaps have shut down, members of the crew have been notified that their roles are being furloughed in line with the government’s scheme for those who can’t work during the coronavirus crisis.”