Giant leap for performers within reach in Morocco

The International Federation of Actors (FIA) welcomes the news of the unanimous adoption by the Chamber of Deputies in Morocco of a draft law that will significantly improve the professional status of artists, and especially performers, in Morocco.

FIA represents close to 85 trade unions, guilds and professional associations of performers in over 60 countries worldwide, mostly actors, dancers as well as singers, variety and circus artists. Recognized as a global sectorial federation by WIPO, UNESCO, the ILO, the OIF and the European institutions, FIA promotes for the acknowledgement of the social, economic and moral rights of performers and advocates for coherent cultural policies to help them make a decent living of their talent, according to the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of the Artist.

"We congratulate the Moroccan Union of Theatre Professionals, a member of our Executive Committee and coordinator of the African group of our federation - said Dominick Luquer, General Secretary of FIA - and praise the team spirit of all unions and organizations in the Moroccan artistic community, which have contributed to this significant step forward. FIA now urges the House of Councillors to endorse the right of artists and performers to a professional status in keeping with their legitimate aspirations".

"FIA welcomes this excellent news - said Ferne Downey, President of the FIA. This initiative firmly ties the different artistic disciplines onto the labour code. It is a decisive step towards collective bargaining, which will ease performers out of their precariousness and give them access to meaningful social benefits. Professional performers in Morocco may soon look at a brighter future. We now hope that the proposal will be upheld or even improved by the House of Councillors – namely by conditioning the granting of public subsidies to an agreement with the unions with respect to working terms and conditions ".

This important breakthrough is the result of an historic agreement between the government majority, who initiated the reform of Law 2003/91.71 on the Status of the Artist, and the opposition. This collaboration is a tribute to the fair and reasonable claims of artists, especially performers, in Morocco.

FIA praises the excellent work of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Communications and Employment, in close collaboration with the representative organizations of the various artistic disciplines.

FIA also greets the admirable job of the Performer Union in France (SFA), who mentored the Moroccan Union of Theatre Professionals for over two years and heartened the militant work of its members.