AT last year’s Congress motions and amendments from Usdaw, TSSA and Women’s Conference called on the TUC to campaign for childcare support which will benefit all parents, including those who work shifts and unsociable hours and for comprehensive policy measures geared towards the introduction of universal free childcare.

TUC Women’s Conference also spoke of the need to “examine and raise awareness of the obstacles linked to childcare that women face in the labour market.”

In this vein Equity is bringing a motion to this year’s Congress about the particular challenges faced by parents and carers working in the creative industries — including film, television, theatre, dance and the music industry.

The stereotype of a worker in the creative industries is of an actor or performer who is “resting” for the vast majority of the time, leading many to ask: why do they need help with childcare when their working lives are so flexible?

In reality careers in the creative industries are characterised less by flexibility and more by precariousness and unpredictability.

Our members are expected to audition often at very short notice, they can spend long hours in rehearsals or filming, their next role may involve touring around Britain or internationally and pay levels can vary greatly from job to job.

Equity’s most recent survey of members found that one in 10 earned nothing from their work in the entertainment industry and two-thirds earned either nothing or under £10k per year.

Nearly half of respondents had worked in the entertainment industry for no pay in the past 12 months and of those who had, just over half received no expenses.

Younger members of Equity, particularly those who have recently graduated from drama school, tell us they have been told to expect to work for free for up to two years at the start of their careers.

Performers and other creative workers who want to start a family have told us that the decision has had a huge impact on their careers.

At Equity’s annual conference earlier this year a group of members interested in this issue got together and shared their experiences.

Women who had had children told us that they had been largely forgotten or passed over by potential employers. Others had decided not to have children because it was not compatible with their work or would undo the progress they had made towards building a sustainable career.

Women and men told us that they had no reliable, flexible or affordable sources of help and support with childcare beyond the goodwill of friends and family.

In an environment where the government is making further attacks on the welfare state upon which many so many working people rely, this situation will only get worse.

Tax credits, child tax credits and out-of-work benefits are a vital safety net that enable all performers and especially those from underrepresented backgrounds to remain in our industry.

Employment in the creative industries is heavily concentrated in London and south-east England. Without access to housing benefit, families earning £40k, which includes many of our members, will be forced into poverty or out of their careers.

The government — and during the general election all political parties — were at great pains to promise improvements to childcare provision but we fear that new entitlements will not be available to parents and carers with complex working patterns.

Increases in childcare entitlements also do not tackle the discrimination faced by freelance and self-employed workers who become parents.

Workers in our industry are demanding a better deal for themselves and their families, not just in Britain but internationally.

Our sister unions in Australia and the US have told us that debates about childcare and working in the creative industries are just as live in these countries.

Here in Britain, a new campaign group — Parents in the Performing Arts — is launching in October with support from Equity, industry partners and high-profile working parents, including Romola Garai.

With support from the TUC we hope to ensure that the creative industries don’t just become a playground for the wealthy, or those that are totally free of dependants or caring responsibilities.

• Christine Payne is general secretary of Equity.