Cultural Convention presents the results of the first working group on work and social issues
Vienna (OTS) – In view of the worsening economic situation, exacerbated by decades of failure to secure the livelihood of artists and cultural workers in Austria, the KULTURKOVENT demands:
- constitutional anchoring of a state goal of art and culture
- appropriate tax, social, media and copyright law
- Financing obligations of local authorities towards art and culture
The CULTURAL CONVENT (60 institutions and representative representations of all art genres and cultural areas*) will start with the area on April 9, 2024 Work and social affairs a series of presentations of all collected results. The areas of education, law (copyright, ancillary copyright, media law) and business will follow monthly.
Twelve months of intensive discussion
Immediately after its opening a year ago on March 29, 2023, the CULTURAL CONVENT began to examine all legal matters on a broad basis for updates and improvements. Among the most pressing unsolved problems in the area Work and social affairs says the head of the working group, Dr. Walter Pöltner: People in constantly changing employment relationships cannot do anything with labor and social law from the 19th century, and the state can no longer offer them social security.
On April 9, 2024, Pöltner will present problem analyzes and proposed solutions and hand them over to the legislature for implementation. “With all emphasis,” as Peter Paul Skrepek, one of the initiators of the CULTURAL CONVENT, emphasizes: Since the work contract regulation in 1996, things have only gone downhill. There were only emergency repairs. Politicians come and go, but things don’t get better. A comprehensive legal solution is overdue.
Towards the end of the month, more and more people do not know how they should pay for basic food, rent, work materials or a train ticket to a production location – and if this means that the next order is no longer necessary, they have to go to the AMS again, says Skrepek.
Austria as a cultural country in an international comparison
Austria is perceived worldwide as a cultural country. Austria advertises itself with the KULTURLAND AUSTRIA brand. Art and culture in Austria are important economic factors. Art and cultural workers make a fundamental contribution to this, mostly without sufficient infrastructure and legal framework.
Worst working conditions for decades
Art and cultural workers put their talents, skills, activities and works at the service of the general public. Economically they are a marginal group. The risk of poverty and social disadvantage are particularly acute among those in the freelance sector, although they are directly or indirectly responsible for the success of cultural economic performance. It is therefore necessary to guarantee those working in the arts and culture the infrastructure for their activities, at least to the same extent as agriculture, tourism and trade.
State goal of art and culture
In order to elevate art and culture to the legal status it has in terms of its importance, one measure or the other is not enough. It is more than ever necessary to take them into account appropriately in all legal matters. This begins with the constitutional anchoring of a state goal of art and culture, continues in tax, social, media and copyright law and is finally reflected in the financing obligations of local authorities towards art and culture.
Initiator of the CULTURAL CONVENT Gerhard Ruiss: A “state goal of art and culture” must guarantee, either itself or with an additional art and culture location law, that there is a minimum cultural level in all regions of Austria.
*) https://www.allianz-kunst-kultur-sport.at/
Cultural Convention: Results of the “Work & Social Issues” Working Group
Dr. Walter Pöltner, head of the working group, qdm. Head of section and Federal Minister for Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection
Eva-Maria Bauer MA, President of the Austrian Music Council
Prof. Gerhard Ruiss, CEO of IG Authors Authors, poets, musicians
Daniela Koweindl, cultural policy spokesperson for IG Bildende Kunst (requested)
Zora Bachmann, CEO of the umbrella organization of Austrian filmmakers (requested)
Peter Paul Skrepek, Musicians’ Guild, KMSfB Younion, musician, composer, author
Yvonne Gimpel, CEO IG Culture (requested)
Datum: April 9, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m
Ort: Press Club Concordia
Bankgasse 8, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Questions & Contact:
Peter Paul Skrepek +43 664 614 5405
Gerhard Ruiss +43 664 405 7494