European social partners in the live performance sector jointly address governments to promote national social dialogue in Southern Europe

European social partners in the live performance sector met in Dubrovnik, Croatia on the 26-27 February 2010 to take stock of social dialogue in 12 countries of Southern Europe. The conference organised by the European Arts and Entertainment Alliance, EAEA and PEARLE, the European association of live performance employers, brought together over 70 union, employer and government representatives.

The conference took place in the framework of a project funded by the European Commission, which aimed at promoting national social dialogue in Southern Europe. The project also produced a report on the state of social dialogue in live performance based on interviews carried out in 12 countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, FYROM, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey). Its aim is to find out how workers and employers are organised in the twelve selected countries and how social dialogue in the performing arts sector functions. It contains some preliminary overall conclusions followed by twelve country profiles, in order to give more detailed information about the situation in each country. A draft report was presented at the conference and has now been finalised. You can download it here below.

Participants at the conference exchanged views on the challenges for the life performance sector in the midst of a global financial crisis. Employer and union representatives alike underlined that in the present economic context, the financing of the performing arts must be guaranteed to provide for a genuine and sustainable environment for the sector and boost further growth and employment. The sector must be included in the economic recovery plans, speakers stressed. 
In their final declaration European social partners called on the European Union to encourage governments to create favourable conditions for an autonomous bi-lateral social dialogue in the countries of Southern Europe and urged national governments to encourage and allow management and labour to organise, in particular as regards employers’ in the public live performance sector and freelance/self-employed workers.

You can download the final joint statement and the final project report below.

Final Joint Statement Dubrovnik
Position Conjointe Finale Dubrovnik
Final Joint Statement Dubrovnik - Spanish
Final Report on Social Dialogue in Southern Europe