Competition Law Change For Arts Sector

Arts and Entertainment - Arts

Saturday, 18 September 2010 08:26

Written by Conor Joyce

Michael D Higgins TD, Labour Party President and former Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, has welcomed the government’s decision to change competition law in order to allow those persons working in the arts to, belatedly, negotiate on collective rates of pay.

Deputy Higgins said:”This is a welcome development, and one which I have sought for some time now. Indeed, three years ago I introduced a Private Member’s Bill in the Dáil which sought precisely this. The government voted it down then and while that was short-sighted I am glad that the view that prevailed at that time has now been overturned.

“At that time I made the point that the then position was an abuse of the basic rights of those persons affected, be they voice over actors, session musicians, freelance workers and others, at ILO level as well as a distortion of what had been intended by Irish legislators when members of the Oireachtas passed the Competition Acts. The legislation at that time affected many other self-employed persons also, and was deeply unfair.

“It is welcome that this anomaly is to be lifted and it is gratifying too to hear this news on the National Day of Action for the Arts. Still today, too many seem to view artistic endeavour, and the cultural space in general, as the residual of the marketplace, rather than viewing them as the space within which various forms of human activity are made possible”, added Deputy Higgins.