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European social partners in live performances met in Dubrovnik, Croatia last week-end to take stock of social dialogue in 12 countries of Southern Europe. The conference organised by the European Arts and Entertainment Alliance, EAEA and PEARLE, the European association of live performance employers, brought together over 70 union, employer and government representatives.



The conference took place in the framework of a project funded by the European Commission, which aims at promoting national social dialogue in Southern Europe. The project will also produce a report on the state of social dialogue in life performance based on interviews carried out in 12 countries. A draft report was presented at the conference and will be finalised by April this year.



Participants exchanged on the challenges for the life performance sector in the midst of a global financial crisis. Employer and union representatives alike underlined that in the present economic context, the financing of the performing arts must be guaranteed to provide for a genuine and sustainable environment for the sector and boost further growth and employment. The sector must be included in the economic recovery plans, speakers stressed.



In their final declaration European social partners called on the European Union to encourage governments to create favourable conditions for an autonomous bi-lateral social dialogue in the countries of Southern Europe and urged national governments to encourage and allow management and labour to organise, in particular as regards employers’ in the public live performance sector and freelance/self-employed workers.



To download the declaration in English, French and Spanish please click on “related files” above.