Art and entertainment workers need better working conditions

Despite being essential in society, the arts and entertainment sector often has instability and poor working conditions. That is why workers and employers in the sector need to establish long-term strategies that support the creation of stable jobs, social protection and dialogue, and a just transition towards greener economies.

They are the recommendations collected in a technical meeting on the future of work in the sector attended by representatives of governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations. During the meeting, which took place between February 13 and 17 at the headquarters of the International Labor Organization In Geneva, the importance of creating an enabling environment for companies in the arts and entertainment sector, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, was discussed, including helping them make the transition to the formal sector.

from the report The future of work in the arts and entertainment sector, Delegates concluded that these strategies will be vital for the sector to meet the challenges and opportunities created by issues such as globalization, technology and the post-COVID-19 recovery.

Better salaries and social protection

Strategies should include a comprehensive review of working conditions, including the creation of an enabling environment for effective social dialogue, and effective policies on remuneration and adequate minimum wages.

Other requirements include improved policy and regulatory frameworks for qualifications, social protection and workers’ status, as well as strong labor inspection systems that promote safe and healthy working conditions, including combating violence and bullying. bullying at work

Discussions also touched on copyright and related rights, including the need for them to be applied in a way that guarantees effective remuneration for producers, performers and authors.

Attendees also discussed the positive role that social dialogue can play in bridging the “digital divide” between regions and supporting equal access to technology and its benefits. Other topics were related to the cross-border mobility of workers, the shortage of skilled labor and the importance of universal, adequate and sustainable social protection for all workers.

Importance of the sector beyond its commercial value

The arts and entertainment sector has economic as well as cultural dimensions, since it generates experiences and not just consumer goods. Workers and companies that produce specific goods and provide services in the specific field of arts and entertainment within the cultural and creative ecosystem. This includes performing arts, music, dance, live or recorded performances (sound or audiovisual), visual arts, books, and video games and animation.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a debate on the possibility of considering culture, understood in a broad sense, as a “global public good”, due to its ability to promote social cohesion, increase people’s resilience and connect communities with different forms of cultural expression, beyond their commercial value.