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Lay-offs likely due to strike
10/01/2008 09:27 - (SA)
Los Angeles - The Hollywood writers' strike, now in its third month, appears likely to lead to the imminent lay-offs of hundreds of workers in the television and movie business, US media reported on Wednesday.
Industry journal Variety reported that Warner Brothers is planning on announcing lay-offs of an unspecified number of the 1 000 workers in its studios sometime this month.
"It now appears that the WGA's (Writers Guild of America) strike will continue for the foreseeable future, and we must begin to scale back our operations due to the decline in production activity," Variety wrote, quoting a notice attributed to Warner Brothers.
The studio has declined comment on the story.
Hollywood screenwriters have been on strike since November 5, after the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to agree on terms for a new contract, after the old agreement expired in October.
Negotiations foundered over the writers' demands for an increased share of profits from internet and new media sales.
The two-month strike has forced the suspension of numerous television series as well as the postponement of work on several Hollywood films.
But the feud between producers and striking writers and producers claimed its highest-profile casualty earlier this week, when it was confirmed that the Golden Globes awards ceremony was to be cancelled.
Organisers of the grand-daddy of award shows, the Oscars, have expressed confidence that this year's Academy Awards ceremony will take place on February 24 as planned.
Bruce Davis, the executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said Oscars officials were hopeful of a deal with striking writers.
"At this stage we are still making our plans as normal," Davis told AFP.
- AFP
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South Africa
