KARACHI: In the wake of WGA strike in Hollywood, the Screenwriters Association of Pakistan (SWAP) sends a message of solidarity and announces to stand by its brethren in letter and spirit.
SWAP President Vasay Chaudhry stated that both TV and movie writers across the Pakistani entertainment landscape stand shoulder to shoulder in these testing times as only together we can become each other’s voice and support. He added: “Many Pakistani writers wish to contribute to projects in Hollywood, which makes us all writers one big global family.”
SWAP General Secretary Saji Gul categorically stated he finds it essential for all screenwriters to show solidarity and connect with each other, as that is need of the hour.
SWAP Finance Secretary Inam Hasan, in his message of solidarity said, that Pakistani writers should be learning from the experiences of their brethren in the western hemisphere and should start demanding better wages for themselves especially in the streaming era in Pakistan.
More than 9,000 writers in Hollywood have unanimously voted to authorize a strike, which is the entertainment industry’s first show of collective action in 16 years. The WGA is showing a united front as its demand significant changes to how its members are paid in the streaming era.
“Over the past decade, while our employers have increased their profits by tens of billions, they have embraced business practices that have slashed our compensation and residuals and undermined our working conditions,” a WGA memo sent to its members this week said. “The survival of writing as a profession is at stake in this negotiation.”
Since negotiations between the WGA and the Hollywood studios began a month back in March, many writers across the United States have shared stories about how they have struggled to keep up with the cost of living even as they have credits for successful TV shows and movies to their name.
SWAP is the primary and only representative body of screenwriters in Pakistan. The SWAP executive committee comprises of Pakistan’s top screenwriters including Vasay Chaudhry (President), Umera Ahmed (Vice President), Saji Gul (General Secretary), Inam Hasan (Finance Secretary), Mohsin Ali (Joint Secretary), Noor-ul-Huda Shah (Redressal Secretary) and Rida Bilal (Spokesperson).
