Another storm is threatening – or is it a hurricane? - that could hit the cultural sector. The politics in this country is making it clearer than ever that culture is not interesting enough for policy makers. From Artists United we received the press release below, which is certainly alarming for the sector. Klassiek Centraal stands behind this factual emergency call.
PRESS RELEASE
Federal negotiations: the professional federations and trade unions representing employees in the arts sectors are deeply concerned about plans to abolish the so-called artist worker statute and fear that access to culture for the public will be hindered.
The professional federations and trade union organizations have learned from reliable sources that the third version of the "super note" drawn up as part of the formation of a coalition government contained a paragraph abolishing the status of employees in the arts, while notably the new version of this artist worker statute only came into force in January 2024...
They thank the political parties involved in the negotiations (including the initiators of the reform and other policy makers concerned with culture) who are opposing this abolition and call on them to "defend the new statute of art workers and the associated benefit system against all pressure" and to maintain these positions.
As a reminder: successive crises have severely affected the cultural sector and emphasized the specific way of working and operating in the arts: very short-term contracts, invisible work, low wages, etc.
The previous federal government was aware of the need to reform this specific arrangement for art workers - encompassed within the framework of social security and unemployment - to guarantee the sustainability of a dynamic economic sector (5% of GDP!). And also to guarantee access to culture for everyone thanks to the activities of art workers.
They point out that this reform of this statute came into force on 1 January 2024 and that legal certainty must be guaranteed in a constitutional state.
With regard to negotiations on tax reform, the professional federations and trade unions also urge negotiators to abandon the idea of raising the reduced VAT rate from 6% to 9%, among other things for cultural products and services, which currently fall under 6% VAT.
For information: many cultural players, who are not taxable and sometimes have to provide free services on the basis of assignments entrusted to them by the government, cannot deduct VAT (for example cultural centers, certain theaters, festivals, etc.). An increase in VAT to 9% would for many of them lead to a de facto increase in costs and charges, with inevitable consequences for the prices charged and actual access to cultural activities for everyone.
Finally, the French-speaking book sector already faces unfavorable competition from France, where a VAT rate of 5.5% applies. At the moment, it is the booksellers who are absorbing this small difference in their margin, which would no longer be possible if the difference were increased to 3.5%.
Organizations endorsing the urgent appeal and those Klassiek Centraal joins (status as of August 28, 2024)
ABDIL - Auteurices de la Bande dessinée et de l'Illustration réuni·e·s,,ACTEURSGILDE, AIRES LIBRES – Fédération des arts de la rue, des arts du cirque et des arts forains, AMBITUS - Fédération des ensembles belges indépendants des musiques classiques, ARTISTS UNITED – association de défense des intérêts des travailleur·euses du secteur culturel, ARTeM - Art, Recherche, Technologie et Musique, Asbl Festival d'Art, ASTRAC – Réseau des professionnels en Centre Culturel, ATPS, Association de Technicien·ne·s Professionnel·le·s du Spectacle, BEMontage, BIMA - Belgian Independent Music Association, CTEJ – Chambre des Théâtres pour l'Enfance et Jeunesse, CCTA – Chambre des compagnies de théâtre pour adultes, CGSLB, COURT-CIRCUIT - Fédération d'organisations de concerts, CSC Culture, DeAuteurs tekenen, Elles Font des Films, laFAP – Fédération des arts plastiques, FTA – Fédération du Théâtre-Action, FACIR – Fédération des Auteur·rices, Compositeur·rices et Interprètes Réuni·es, Fazz (Fédération des Jazz et musiques improvisées – ex Museact), FCI – Fédération de la Culture indépendante, FEAS – Fédération des employeurs des Arts de la Scène, Fédérations des conteurs, FeBeME - Fédération Belge de Musique Électroacoustique, FLIF - Fédération des Labels Indépendants Francophones, Forum de la Création Musicale, Hors-Champ - Fédération des métiers du cinéma, IRW-CGSP-CULTURE, Jazzstation asbl, La Chapelle de Verre (Fauquez), LES LUNDIS D'HORTENSE – Association des musicien·nes de jazz belge, NICC, PRO SPERE, la fédération des créateurs et interprètes de l'audiovisuel et du qui réunit (l'ARRF ( Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices francophones), l'ASA ( Association des scénaristes de l'audiovisuel ), ASAR (Association des Auteurs Radio), SABAM-SACD-SCAM ( Sociétés d'auteurs ), PLAYRIGHT (Société d'artistes interprètes ), l'UNION DES ARTISTES (Union des Artistes du Spectacle), BELGIAN SCREEN COMPOSERS GUILD ( Compositeurs musique de films ), M-Collectif – Marionnettes, théâtre d'objets et arts associés en FW-B, La RAC – Réseau des Arts Chorégraphiques, PLAYRIGHT, SABAM, SACD, SCAM, Scenaristengilde, beroeps en belangenvereniging voor Vlaamse scenaristen, SETCa-FGTB Fédéral | BBTK Federaal, SETCA Culture BHV, State of the Arts, Unie van Regisseurs, UAS - Union des Artistes du Spectacle