The representatives of the unions of Central and Eastern Europe taking part in the EU project “Building Social Dialogue in a Changing Labour Market: Peer-learning and Capacity building for Central and Eastern European Workers’ Organisations Representing Performers” took part in the fourth study visit of the project to Kunstenbond, the Dutch artists and creators union, on December 15.
The aim of this project is to offer tailored capacity building of performers’ unions in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) through study visits and thematic exchanges. The study visits give participants the opportunity to exchange with the host union on key areas such as union organising, social dialogue or communication and to reflect on the applicability and potential to develop new strategies and approaches in their home union. Overall, the project aims to help these unions develop their national work and strategy.
To this end, a group of representatives from unions from Croatia (HDDU), Estonia (ENL), Hungary (SDS), Latvia (LKDAF), Poland (ZZAP and ZASP), Romania (FAIR-MediaSind and USIS) and Slovenia (ZDUS) is undertaking a series of five study visits to sister unions across the EU – in Denmark (DSF), the UK (Equity), Germany (GDBA), the Netherlands (Kunstenbond) and Sweden (TF).
Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the two-day study visit to Kunstenbond – initially scheduled for March 2020 – was converted into a four-hour online meeting. Despite the tight schedule, a range of different items were addressed during the meeting. Following an introduction to Kunstenbond and its functioning by Jurre Schreuder, Chairman of the board of the union, Caspar de Kiefte, copyright advocate in charge of international relations, presented the work done with the Creative Labour Agenda and the long path towards the creation of the Platform ACCT, an initiative led by social partners and aiming at improving the labour market in the cultural and creative sector. He then presented the important work done by Kunstenbond for self-employed workers that represent most of the workforce in the Dutch cultural sector. Dorine Schoon and Caroline Cartens introduce the participants to the work of the Platform for Freelance Musicians, an organisation born in 2018 and supported by Kunstenbond. Caroline also presented the key Dutch National Opera Case and it implications for self-employed musicians. The last session of the meeting was dedicated to showcasing examples of successful communication campaigns led by the union.
Thanks to the information, examples and good practices gathered during the different study visits, the participants from the CEE countries will prepare national strategic plans for their unions for the short, medium and long terms.
The fifth and final study visit of the project to Teaterförbundet is scheduled for February 2021.
