Sign the Manifesto for Cultural Workers

Public employees who work in this sector often are furloughed and terminated as “non-essential” when elected leaders face declining revenues.

The absence of arts and culture has diminished the richness of our lives in a time of isolation

These are workers who ensure that our public museums are maintained, our history is catalogued and studied and our libraries are supported. This work is crucial to a thriving society and too often overlooked in an economic race to the bottom.

The pandemic has exacerbated existing discrimination against people of colour, women, and migrant workers in culture, who are amongst the first to be threatened with redundancy or furlough.

Many self-employed cultural workers have found all of their work cancelled suddenly and dramatically for the foreseeable future.

The public has discovered how much the absence of arts and culture has diminished the richness of our lives in a time of isolation.

Sign the Manifesto

English – Français – Español

Arts and culture have the ability to bring people together

The necessary closure of cultural centres and workplaces due to national and localised lockdowns, has directly impacted workers such as musicians, artists, actors, performers, film makers, education leaders, and socially and community engaged cultural workers, as well as the wider cultural workforce with whom they interact.

The provision of cultural services is essential to humanity and plays a key role in pandemic recovery and healing, as well as communication about human rights, equality, justice and more. Arts and culture have the ability to bring people together, to break down barriers, to heal, to provide a platform for important debates; and to simply bring joy, entertainment and relaxation.

The sector also benefits the economy greatly and is thus a key component for true economic recovery.

We need a zero Covid-19 strategy that takes us forward, that leaves nobody behind, that promotes and embraces equality and not a return to business as usual regarding political, economic, and cultural agency; whose voices are given a platform; and whose arts are embraced. The cultural sector, whilst multi-cultural in terms of engagement and participation, can also be guilty of institutional and systemic discrimination. Open and inclusive cultural services are vital to the future health of democracy in all communities and societies.

Cultural workers cannot be the victims of a crisis created by budget cuts and ill-advised political choices

The crisis that the cultural sector now faces must be considered in the context of the impacts of over a decade of austerity with cuts devastating the sector and deepening discrimination.

Whilst we need urgent action by governments to sustain the sector and ensure that all cultural workers, whatever their employment, receive the necessary economic and social support to survive the pandemic, we also need a forward-facing strategy of recovery, protection from further austerity measures with equality at its heart.

We object to the commodification of culture and the policing of borders limiting cultural engagements across communities. We reject the precarious treatment of workers in the sector and call for investment and access for all. Cultural workers cannot be the victims of a crisis created by budget cuts and ill-advised political choices. Our joint initiative must start from the protection of workers and the demand for job security.

Our demands and strategic aims for the future include:

1. Expanding participation from every segment of our society to establish meaningful cultural democracy;

2. Establishing dignified working conditions, including the modification of contractual benefits and terms to end precarious and irregular work and provide decent pensions, sick pay, holiday pay, and union negotiation for self-employed cultural workers;

3. End exploitation of cultural workers through low and unequal pay; during this pandemic, we call for financial assistance for workers, including increased unemployment insurance, and assistance for essentials such as food and housing;

4. Establish recognition and collective bargaining agreements with cultural institutions employing cultural workers;

5. Ensure the distribution of publicly funded pandemic recovery funds that are not dependent on or distributed by charity;

6. Establish secure funding for artists and cultural worker professional development and education plans;

7. Universalize employer accountability and maintain zero tolerance for discriminatory policies so that workers of all backgrounds feel welcome in this sector;

8. Expand trans-national work accessibility through the reduction of financially discriminatory labour policies, racist immigration policies, and paid visa requirements for cultural workers;

9. Invest in and engage with marginalised and poor communities having limited or no access to cultural events and activities

10. Decolonizing the culture sector and mitigating the undue domination of Western art forms;

11. Creating legal structures to ensure the enforcement and protection of human rights of workers in the cultural sector; and

12. Focus on youth: the recruitment and retention of young trade unionists is vital in the fields of arts and culture; their creativity and growth are an investment for generations to come.

Cultural workers help us preserve the past, examine who we are, and imagine who we can become; they deserve to be recognized for their unique and critical contributions to society and to be treated with dignity in the workplace.

Exceptional measures must be taken to repair the damage done by the pandemic in the cultural sector if we are to lift our society and build for a meaningful future.

Signatories:

Organisations:

1. Public Services International (PSI)

2. European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

3. International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

4. Australia - New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association

5. Austria - younion _ Die Daseinsgewerkschaft

6. Belgium - CGSP ALR

7. Belgium - ENCC

8. Cameroon - SYNATEEC

9. Canada - SPGQ (Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec)

10. Chad - UST

11. Chile - CONFUSAM

12. Commonwealth of Dominica - DPSU

13. Dominican Republic - SITRACORAASAN

14. Ecuador - National Dance Company

15. Ecuador - 0bservatorio Sociolaboral y del Diálogo Social en el Ecuador OSLADE

16. Ecuador - Centro de Danza Experimental-Cedex

17. France - USPAC CGT-Culture

18. France - CGT territoriaux de Saint-Nazaire

19. France - CGT Territoriaux Haut et Bas Vallespir

20. France - UFSE-CGT

21. France - Compagnie d'Ici

22. Germany - ver.di

23. Germany - Verband deutscher Schriftstellerinnen und Schriftsteller (VS in ver.di)

24. Germany - Kreative im Quartier Lohberg e.V.

25. Ghana - Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association

26. Guatemala - Sindicato de trabajadores del Instituto de Fomento Municipal SITRAINFOM

27. Haiti - Confederation des Travailleurs-euses des Secteurs Public et Privé (CTSP)

28. Hungary - KKDSZ

29. India - VMCS

30. Italy - FPCGIL

31. Italy - Sindacato CGIL Funzione Pubblica Torino

32. Jordan - Independent union for the workers in municipalities

33. Kenya - Union of Kenya Civil Servants

34. Lebanon - SIDC

35. Lebanon - Social Workers' Syndicate in Lebanon

36. Luxembourg - Chambre des salariés du Luxembourg

37. Mauritius - State and Other Employees Federation

38. Mauritius - RGEA - Rodrigues

39. Mexico - Festem

40. Mongolia - Federation of Public Employees Trade Union

41. Nepal - Union of Public Services in Nepal (UPSIN)

42. Nigeria - The Southern Examiner

43. Pakistan - Workers Education and Research Organization (WERO)

44. Philippines - Public Services Labor Independent Confederation

45. Philippines - All U.P. Workers Union

46. Saint Lucia - St.Lucia Civil Service Association

47. South Africa - NUPSAW

48. South Korea - Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union

49. Spain - CLATE/ULATOC/CSA-A

50. Togo - FENASSEP TOGO

51. United Kingdom - PCS Union

52. United Kingdom - PCS Southbank Centre Branch

53. United Kingdom - TUC

54. United Kingdom - Islington Unison

55. United Kingdom - Artists' Union England

56. United States - TOTEM Association of Educational Support Personnel, Inc.

Individuals:

1. Antigua and Barbuda - Hazel Luke - Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union

2. Argentina - Viviana Garcia - Fesprosa

3. Australia - Brett Holmes - New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association

4. Australia - Janet Roden - New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association

5. Australia - Colin Long

6. Austria - Thomas Kattnig - younion _ Die Daseinsgewerkschaft

7. Austria - Brigitte Rapp - IG Uebersetzerinnen Uebersetzer

8. Austria - Rea Leka - European Network of Cultural Centres

9. Bahrain - Abdulla Hussain

10. Belgium - Sharan Burrow - ITUC

11. Belgium - Nadja Salson - EPSU

12. Belgium - Gilbert LIEBEN - CGSP ALR

13. Belgium - Pierre Vachaudez - ENCC

14. Belgium - Clémence Garnier - ENCC

15. Belgium - Emmanuel Wietzel - FGTB

16. Belgium - Barbara Sak - Researcher in public, social and cooperative economics

17. Brazil - Jocelio Drummond - PSI Inter-America

18. Brazil - Euan Gibb - PSI Inter-America

19. Brazil - Geici Maiara Brig

20. Brazil - Yara Frateschi Vieira - Universidade Estadual de Campinas

21. Bulgaria - Gabriela Stoicheva - Trade Union of Administrative Employees

22. Côte d'Ivoire - Ouattara Épouse Nguessan Tiekhou Antoinette - Syndicat National des sages-femmes ivoiriennes (SYNSFI)

23. Cameroon - Chief EWOUKEM ATABONG Francois - SYNATEEC

24. Canada - Emilie Beauchesne - SPGQ (Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec)

25. Canada - Lydia Martel - SPGQ (Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec)

26. Canada - Adi Jakupovic - SPGQ (Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec)

27. Canada - James Cavalluzzo - BCGEU

28. Canada - Jane Stinson - CUPE retiree

29. Canada - Adi Jakupovic

30. Chad - Demba Karyom - UST

31. Chile - Carolina Espinoza - ISP-CONFUSAM

32. Colombia - Margarita Lopez - Sintracuavalle

33. Colombia - Manolo Carvajal - Fedetrar

34. Colombia - José Isaías Montopya García - ASODEFENSA

35. Commonwealth of Dominica - Steve - DPSU

36. Costa Rica - Óscar Rodríguez Léon - PSI-Costa Rica

37. Denmark - Mads Samsing - HK Kommunal

38. Dominican Republic - Ivan Manuel Ureña - SITRACORAASAN

39. Ecuador - Sisa Madrid - National Dance Company

40. Ecuador - Dick Richard Sellán Bajaña - 0bservatorio Sociolaboral y del Diálogo Social en el Ecuador OSLADE

41. Ecuador - Luis Fernando Cruz - Centro de Danza Experimental-Cedex

42. Ecuador - Sonia Ortega Fernández - Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, sede Ecuador

43. Finland - Pekka Pylkkänen - Musician

44. France - Valérie Renault - secrétaire générale USPAC CGT-Culture

45. France - Jean-Paul Leonarduzzi - secrétaire général adjoint USPAC CGT-Culture

46. France - Yvan Navarro - CGT Culture

47. France - Fabien Pouëssel - CGT territoriaux de Saint-Nazaire

48. France - Aurélie Guerrero - CGT Territoriaux Haut et Bas Vallespir

49. France - Godard - UFSE-CGT

50. France - Battesti Emma - Compagnie d'Ici

51. France - Frédérique Landas - CGT

52. France - Lelarge - CGT

53. France - Catherine Marchais - CGT (fédé Services Publics)

54. France - Mary Alexis - Alcadom

55. France - Rance Valérie

56. France - Frederic Solans

57. France - Serge Baglin

58. France - Pascale dambrière

59. France - Cécile Pallarés Brzezinski - CGT

60. France - Audrey - CGT

61. France - Pelloquin Jean-Noel - CGT

62. France - Le Merdy gilles - La CGT Territoriaux de Nantes

63. France - Aumeer - CGT cd 91

64. France - Claire Serre-Combe

65. France - Harnay Véronique - CGT

66. France - Christophe Cupillard - archéologue à la DRAC de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

67. France - Gilles Rollier - Archéologue

68. France - Georgia Leguem - cheffe de projet audiovisuel

69. France - Rudy Simoné - Web Architect

70. France - Isabelle Guillemet

71. France - Agnès Riandière la Roche - Retraitée, CGT

72. France - Patrice MESTRAL - compositeur

73. France - Gérard DEL MASCHIO - Agent EDF/RTE

74. France - BORDA-SILVAND Bernadette - artiste musicienne retraitée

75. France - Frédéric Espi - France Insoumise

76. France - Chaussé

77. France - Kblues - Marseille

78. France - Nicolas Violin

79. France - Clara LE GUYADER - in charge of cultural and educative projects

80. France - Bonomo - Aix en Provence

81. France - BIANCHI Bernard - Soildaire

82. France - Shad Reis - Actor

83. France - Julien Silvand - Musician

84. France - Ansot - Cherbourg

85. France - Kristine Maerel - Comédienne SFA CGT

86. France - Didier Abadie - directeur ERACM

87. France - Vincent Montel - Photographe

88. France - Camille Bobeau - Architecte

89. France - Guillaume blin - technicien du spectacle

90. France - Marello - artiste chorégraphique

91. France - Anaïs Wahl - Médiatrice culturelle

92. France - Brouillet - Régisseure d'oeuvres d'art - Conseil en conservation préventive

93. France - Christele Lefebvre - Technicienne theatre

94. France - Vincent Meriglier

95. France - Nathalie Lassire - médiatrice culturelle cinéma

96. France - Gilbert Ceccaldi - Conseiller Culturel

97. France - Cyrille - singer

98. France - Sokolowski - technicien

99. France - Metais

100. France - Aurélien - Bordeaux2021

101. France - Christophe Gouin

102. France - Elsa Berthelot - Sound Technician

103. France - Halimi Pascale - Peintre,sculpteur

104. France - Christian Benedetti - directeur Theatre-studio / acteur et metteur en scène

105. Germany - Barbara Kistner - ver.di Mitglied

106. Germany - Christian Reischl - ver.di

107. Germany - Lena Falkenhagen - Verband deutscher Schriftstellerinnen und Schriftsteller (VS in ver.di)

108. Germany - Peter Schrott - ver.di, Bezirk Berlin

109. Germany - Britta L.QL - Kreative im Quartier Lohberg e.V.

110. Germany - Jo Ambros - self-employed

111. Germany - Eileen Jahn

112. Germany - Lisa Basten - ver.di

113. Germany - Anja Bossen - ver.di

114. Germany - Ralf Kaupenjohann - duo kẑrme (musicians)

115. Germany - Sonja Heller - BBK

116. Germany - Karen Beckhof - ver.di

117. Germany - Anita Frei-Krämer - ver.di

118. Germany - Maja Ueberle - Translator's Union

119. Germany - Peter Meier - ver.di

120. Germany - Anne Emmert - ver.di

121. Germany - Bernd W. Plake - correspondance.de

122. Germany - Ingo Herzke - VdÜ / ver.di (Literary Translator's Union)

123. Germany - Ruth Wyneken VS

124. Germany - Monika Camara - ver.di

125. Germany - Claudia Seele-Nyima

126. Germany - Bernd Bauer - ver.di

127. Germany - Anne Altenburg - ver.di

128. Germany - Gregor Seferens - ver.di

129. Germany - Heike Brandt - Verband Deutscher Schriftsteller

130. Germany - Peter Christ - ver.di

131. Germany - Adriana Balboa - Musician/ver. di

132. Germany - Sabine

133. Germany - Eugen Schütz - Verdi, Sculpturenetwork.org

134. Germany - Karen Nölle - VdÜ

135. Germany - Lisa Kroner - Freelandser

136. Germany - Annette Zaborowski - ver.di / VS

137. Germany - Angelika Oppenheimer - ver.di

138. Germany - Lara Drobig - ver.di Hamburg

139. Germany - Mirjam Bitter

140. Germany - Christel Kröning

141. Ghana - Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo - Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association

142. Greece - MARIA FILIOPOULOU - KP-ADEDY

143. Greece - ELENI ZENIOU - Open University of Cyprus - Master's Degree Student in Cultural Policy and Development

144. Guatemala - Daniel Gomez - Sindicato de trabajadores del Instituto de Fomento Municipal SITRAINFOM

145. Haiti - Jean Bonald Golinsky FATAL - Confederation des Travailleurs-euses des Secteurs Public et Privé (CTSP)

146. Haiti - Yvette Gauthier Etienne - Ctsp confédération des travailleurs ( euses) des secteurs publics et privés

147. Hungary - Orsolya Dobrovits - KKDSZ

148. Hungary - Katalin Papp - KKDSZ

149. India - SHREEKANT PRASAD - VMCS

150. India - Swastik Chakraborty

151. Italy - Nicoletta Grieco - FP CGIL

152. Italy - Lilith Zulli - FP CGIL

153. Italy - Maurizio Scazzi - Sindacato CGIL Funzione Pubblica Torino

154. Italy - Matteo Scagliarini - FP CGIL

155. Italy - Luca Mancini - Personale

156. Italy - Salvatore Marra - CGIL

157. Italy - Marco Bonaccini

158. Italy - Orietta Olivo

159. Italy - Sara Pugliese

160. Italy - Ulrike Augschoell - Funzione Pubblica CGIL

161. Italy - Simone Cereda - FP CGIL

162. Italy - Chiara Tarabotti

163. Italy - Alessandra Ghirotti

164. Italy - Antonella Porcari

165. Italy - Luigi Oiva - Ministry of Culture

166. Italy - Graziano Pagnotta - CGIL

167. Italy - Pietro Barbera

168. Italy - Tina Bellavista - CGIL FP

169. Italy - Gianluca Mezzadri - CGIL

170. Italy - ARIANNA ACERBI

171. Italy - Teodora Mancabelli

172. Italy - Flavia Bucciero - Consorzio Coreografi Danza d'Autore Con.Cor.D.A.

173. Italy - Massimiliano A. Polichetti - Italian Ministry of Culture

174. Italy - Elena Riu - FP GCIL

175. Italy - Angela Forziati

176. Italy - Felix Senoner - PERFAS - Performing Artists Association South Tyrol

177. Jamaica - Wayne Jones - JCSA

178. Japan - WAKUI Takaaki - JICHIRO

179. Jordan - Basem Azzam - Independent union for the workers in municipalities

180. Kenya - Winnie Lago - Union Of Kenya Civil Servants

181. Kenya - Melder Ogutu - Union Of Kenya Civil Servants

182. Lebanon - Nadia Badran - SIDC & Social worker's syndicate in Lebanon

183. Luxembourg - Jean-Claude Reding - Chambre des salariés du Luxembourg

184. Malaysia - Kan Suan Jade - Malayan Nurses Union

185. Mauritius - SADIEN RADHAKRISNA - State and Other Employees Federation

186. Mauritius - Meunier Marie-Lourdes - RGEA - Rodrigues

187. Mexico - Fernando Ignacio Licona Cervantes - Festem

188. Mongolia - Altantsetseg.Magvan - Federation of Public Employees Trade Union

189. Namibia - Alex Haimbodi - Public service union of Namibia

190. Nepal - Parshuram Pudasaini - Union of Public Services in Nepal (UPSIN)

191. Nepal - Ram prasad Poudel - Local level employee union

192. Netherlands - Michiel Odijk - AOb (= General Education Union) - Network for Diversity and Inclusion

193. Netherlands - Wilma Roos - FNV

194. New Zealand - Caleb Gordon - Experience Wellington

195. New Zealand - Jo Hall - NZPSA

196. New Zealand - Hannah - PSA

197. Nigeria - Akanimo Sampson - The Southern Examiner

198. Norway - May-Britt Sundal - Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees

199. Pakistan - Mir Zulfiqar Ali - WERO

200. Pakistan - Sultan Muhammad Khan - All Pakistan Labour Federation

201. Peru - Ibis Fernandez - CGTP

202. Philippines - Annie Enriquez Geron - Public Services Labor Independent Confederation

203. Philippines - Jossel Ebesate - All U.P. Workers Union

204. Philippines - Victor G. Chiong - PSI

205. Portugal - Jorge Faewl - STAL

206. Saint Lucia - Claude A Paul - St.Lucia Civil Service Association

207. Senegal - Elimane DIOUF - Syndicat Autonome des Travailleurs des Eaux du Sénégal

208. Singapore - Ricky Cheng - AUPE

209. South Africa - Andrew Tarusenga - NUPSAW

210. South Korea - SungHee Oh - Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU)

211. Spain - Eduardo Estevez Martin - CLATE/ULATOC/CSA-A

212. Spain - Jacek CIACMA - CCOO

213. Sweden - lana Willebrand - Union to Union

214. Switzerland - Aliyah Esmail

215. Switzerland - David Andenmatten - Avenir syndical

216. Togo - TELOU Pirenam - FENASSEP TOGO

217. Tunisia - CHERNI - FGEG/ UGTT

218. Turkey - özgür

219. Uganda - Mawa Majid - NOTU

220. United Kingdom - Zita Holbourne - PCS Union

221. United Kingdom - James Graham Corscadden - TUC

222. United Kingdom - Gareth Spencer - PCS Southbank Centre Branch

223. United Kingdom - Alan Wylie - Islington Unison

224. United Kingdom - James Bartholomeusz - International Transport Workers' Federation

225. United Kingdom - Jonathan Ledger - Unite the Union

226. United Kingdom - Robin Wilson - National Union of Journalists (branch chair)

227. United Kingdom - John Lynch - PCS

228. United Kingdom - Charlotte Hopkins

229. United Kingdom - Jo Grant

230. United Kingdom - Luiz Vieira - Unite

231. United Kingdom - Jill Eastland - Artists' Union England

232. United Kingdom - Theresa Easton - Artists' Union England

233. United Kingdom - Rachel Moss - Freelancer - particip8tion

234. United Kingdom - Angela Kennedy - Artists' Union England

235. United Kingdom - Virginia Bodman

236. United Kingdom - Diana Barnes - Unison

237. United Kingdom - MISS LARA A S RATNARAJA

238. United Kingdom - Clara Paillard - PCS Culture Group

239. United States - Sandra Thompson - TOTEM Association of Educational Support Personnel, Inc.

240. United States - Steve Porter - PSI

241. United States - Jan Hochadel - AFT/AFT-CT

242. United States - John C Bhend - AFSCME Local 52

243. United States - Eric Duncan - American Federation of Teachers

244. United States - Michael Miller

245. United States - Dennis' LaborSOLIDARITY

246. United States - Phillip Golub