Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Unions want to keep 'The Hobbit' in New Zealand
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Unions want to keep 'The Hobbit' in New Zealand
AFP - 2 hours 32 minutes ago
Send
IM Story
Print
Unions want to keep 'The Hobbit' in New Zealand
WELLINGTON (AFP) - – New Zealand unions launched a desperate bid Sunday to keep production of "The Hobbit" in New Zealand as they issued an unreserved assurance the movies would not be affected by industrial action.
Public opinion polls have overwhelmingly showed the unions are blamed by New Zealanders for the row that has threatened the 500 million US dollar project.
Their "absolute assurance" of no disruption came as representatives from Warner Bros, the film's producers, prepared to make arrangements to move the production offshore because of concerns about industrial strife.
"I sincerely hope Warners accept that assurance," New Zealand Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said in a statement.
The bitter row over the prequel to the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy erupted when the actors' union NZ Equity called for a global boycott of "The Hobbit" while they attempted to negotiate a minimum standards agreement.
Movie director Sir Peter Jackson refused, saying it would set an unacceptable industry precedent.
Much of the debate hinged on an argument over whether workers on films such as "The Hobbit" are employees of the production company, which entitles them to minimum benefits, or independent contractors.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stepped into the row last week saying the government would look at changing the law to clarify that actors were independent contractors if it would ease Warner's fears.
In her statement Sunday, union leader Kelly said the Screen Actors Guild has been advised to lift any international sanctions on "The Hobbit" and NZ Equity has confirmed there will be no action that will impact on production.
Warner Bros said in a statement last week that the boycott had already "caused us substantial damage and disruption and forced us to consider other filming locations".
Jackson has said Warner Bros representatives would be in New Zealand next week "to make arrangements to move the production offshore".
New Zealand provided a stunning location for "The Lord of the Rings" and Jackson said the country's three billion dollar (2.3 billion US) a year film industry would be devastated if "The Hobbit" moved elsewhere.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Geithner in China for talks on economic ties AFP - 24 minutes ago
E.Timor leader defends pardon of rebels AFP - 1 hour 7 minutes ago
Reinforced Thai capital readies for rising waters AFP - 1 hour 10 minutes ago
Five dead, 17 missing in Indonesia ferry accident AFP - 1 hour 15 minutes ago
China delegation in tribute to late N.Korea leader AFP - 1 hour 40 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
It's a boy, and another boy for pop star Celine Dion
More than 200 dead in Haiti cholera epidemic: official
Police hurt in clashes over Italy garbage dump
WikiLeaks defends Iraq files as exposing 'truth'
Russian journalist receives Peter Mackler award
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Sharapova nets Lakers' guard Vujacic
WikiLeaks defends Iraq files as exposing 'truth'
Moon's 'treasure chest' includes silver
Runway unveiled for world's first 'tourist' spaceship
Tigers could be extinct within 12 years: WWF
More Most Viewed »
Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study
Too much TV psychologically harms kids: study
Iranian chocolate thief 'to have hand chopped off'
Ancient galaxy is more than 13 billion light years away
British lottery winner gets record 129 mln euros
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 24 October 2010 French families face holiday petrol shortages
French president blasts 'scandal' over Africa's place at UN
Italian police arrest top mafia boss
|
Police hurt in clashes over Italy garbage dump
Seven killed in Kenya soccer stampede
|
Kyrgyz politician says attacked by secret services
|
Yemen says foiled bomb plots ahead of football cup
|
Barbados PM dies from cancer, successor appointed
|
Brand, Perry set for Hindu wedding in India
Nightmare home GP for world champ Asada
Fractious G20 confronts currency row, reforms IMF
British orphanage head in child sex claim in Cambodia
World finance ministers agree IMF shake-up
World figure skating champion Takahashi wows fans
Time for results on Wallabies' tour: skipper Elsom
China concerned over parts of WTO ruling in dumping dispute
Chinese military delegation arrives in North Korea
Group of 20 vows to avoid currency devaluations
Russell Brand, Katy Perry wed in India
|
MySpace shared user data with advertisers: WSJ
Suicide bombers attack UN office in Afghan city
China breaks up anti-Japan protests
|
European far-right parties want referendum on Turkey in EU
WikiLeaks defends Iraq documents release
It's a boy, and another boy for pop star Celine Dion
Suicide attackers assault UN office in Afghanistan
Gunmen kill 13 at birthday party in Mexico
|
More than 200 dead in Haiti cholera epidemic: official
Richard Muscling Toward Honduras At Near-Hurricane Strength
Haiti cholera toll tops 200, five cases in capital
|
Brand, Perry wed in Hindu ceremony in India
E.Timor leader defends pardon of rebels
Reinforced Thai capital readies for rising waters
Five dead, 17 missing in Indonesia ferry accident
Global Weather-Celsius
China delegation in tribute to late N.Korea leader
Body found as Taiwan searches for typhoon missing
N.Korea justifies nuclear 'treasured sword'
Philippines, Norway vaults saving rice diversity
Unions want to keep 'The Hobbit' in New Zealand
Jane Austen's novels heavily polished by editor: expert
Louis XIV descendant sues over Japan pop art at Versailles
Japan urges China to resume rare earths exports
In US debut, Icelandic filmmaker exposes grim organ trade
Philippine police arrest 5 suspects in bus bombing
Brand, Perry wed at tiger reserve in India
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui to see record interim profit: report
Brand, Perry wed at traditional ceremony in India
The Social Network a true story, twins say
|
Celine Dion, Matt Damon welcome new babies
|
Sarkozy eyes end to French pension protest
Court orders Iraqi parliament back to work
Yemen in al Qaeda manhunt as U.S. preacher appears in tape
|
US under pressure on WikiLeaks allegations
Italy seeks to stop violent garbage protests
Netanyahu warns Palestinians against unilateral acts
|
NATO soldier killed in Afghanistan
Afghan president says firm on private security ban
|
Karzai seeks list of aid projects needing security
Foreign troop deaths in Afghanistan near 600 for 2010
|
NATO: Afghanistan bomb attack kills service member
Israelis fired 308 bullets aboard Gaza ship: general
|
Iraqi court orders parliament to meet amid deadlock
|
Shi'ite group wins 18 seats in Bahrain polls
|
U.S. soldiers in Iraq restless in advisory role
|
Alonso wins in Korea, takes F1 championship lead
Alonso wins Korean Grand Prix
Korean Grand Prix to resume after rain delay
Geithner in China for talks on economic ties
Brand, Perry host gala reception at Indian palace
Russian tycoon to launch fourth British newspaper
Deadlock in UN biodiversity talks in Nagoya
Geithner arrives in China for economic talks
India ready to seal nuke deal, boost Japan trade
China's massive commodities appetite moves markets
G20 sows seeds of future forex skirmishes
Geithner in China for talks amid currency tensions
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights