THE GOVERNMENT is to change the competition law to allow workers in the arts such as actors and musicians to negotiate collectively on pay.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation said last night it was hoped legislation would be published to deal with this issue later this year or early next year. It said, however, this was subject to being consistent with EU competition law.
Currently the Competition Act prevents actors who provide voice-overs for advertisements, musicians and freelance journalists from negotiating pay collectively.
However, the Government agreed as part of the Towards 2016 social partnership deal to make changes to competition legislation in this area.
In a statement, the department said: “It is intended, subject to consistency with EU competition law, to give effect to the Government commitment in Towards 2016 regarding the exemption of certain specified categories of vulnerable workers, namely voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians, from competition law in the Bill being prepared to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. It is hoped to publish this Bill later this year or early next year.”
Legislation to give effect to reforms in this area was supposed to have been published last year.
About 150 artists, actors and musicians protested outside the Department of Arts in Dublin yesterday over what they said was a collapse in their incomes due to budget cuts and the recession.
Studies of the living and working conditions of artists in Ireland by the Arts Council and other bodies show they earn an average of less than €10,000 a year from their creative work.
This is the first time representative bodies for a range of arts professions have banded together under the banner of the Association of Artists’ Representatives’ Organisations (AARO) to campaign on an issue of concern.
The umbrella organisation represents the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, the Musicians’ Union of Ireland, Visual Artists Ireland, Irish Actors’ Equity, the Screen Directors’ Guild of Ireland and the Association of Irish Composers.
Rynagh O’Grady, of the actors’ organisation, said very few professional artists can earn a living from their work and most have to work at something else to subsidise their artistic earnings.
Cuts in Arts Council and local authority funding, and a drop in advertising spending, had contributed to the reduction in artists’ incomes, and also to the fall in audiences for arts events.
Ms O’Grady said many artists were being asked to undertake work for lower fees or free: “The attitude to artists is so unprotective and un-nurturing and doesn’t really respect the contribution we make, nor the right that we have to make a living from it.”
Musician Andy Irvine performed at yesterday’s event. Also present were actors Bryan Murray and Joe McKinney. Today marks a national day of action for the arts organised by the National Campaign for the Arts and the AARO.