Social Justice for workers behind the scenes: for a just transformation in Entertainment and Media

The event that took place on 28-29 January brought together union leaders from across Europe to discuss strategies for ensuring fair and sustainable working conditions amid rapid technological change and structural transformations post-Covid. The participants were presented with key findings from the draft report, including highlights of the transformation that unions need to address.

The uneven post-pandemic economic recovery means high instability in employment for freelancers and gig workers, while the rise of streaming productions and global players has led to challenges in working conditions, including long working hours, poor work-life balance, and job burnout.

Furthermore, the sectors are characterised by significant gender disparities in employment and remuneration. A significant number of women and caregivers in the film and TV industry do not see themselves remaining in the sector in the next five years.

The impact of digitalisation and the rise of generative AI cast doubts over the sustainability of certain jobs and demand investment by companies in their technological capacities and in the skills development of their workforce.

Finally, the draft report also underlines the growing gap between company profitability and stagnant wages, underscoring that the economic recovery of the sector contrast with high precarity and unfair pay for workers.

Actions: how can unions make transformation socially just?

The seminar produced some avenues for joint action and union to union cooperation through:

• Working towards greater transparency in corporate financial structures to strengthen collective bargaining efforts;
• Improving gender balance in collective bargaining agreements and address pay equity must be a priority for all member unions;
• Reducing working hours and introducing work-life balance policies remain central to making employment in the sector sustainable;
• Strenghtening the existing cooperation between unions with employers at European and national level on skills;
• Mapping skills to identify gaps caused by technological change and the introduction of generative AI and creation of targeted training programs are key priorities.

The participants agreed on the importance of addressing these key challenges. The interaction between regulatory advocacy and cooperation on collective bargaining strategies are essential to achieve social justice for workers behind the scenes.

William Maunier, President of UNI Europa media, entertainment and  arts sector said: “Media and entertainment unions need to increase their cooperation to better engage multinational companies as well as local employers in order to increase collective bargaining coverage. It is through this that  we can   ensure fair conditions and pay, eliminate gender inequalities and invest in skills development.”   

What’s next: a campaign for social standards in public funding for the cultural and creative sectors 

The seminar concluded with a discussion on advancing social standards in public funding in the cultural and creative sector (CCS).

In 2025, UNI Europa will launch a campaign for minimum social standards by conditioning public funding for the cultural and creative sectors. Examples such as Germany’s recent initiatives on minimum criteria in federal cultural funding, and the European Commission’s announcement to consider a proposal on status and conditions of workers in the CCS regarding social conditionality both show how making public funded productions a benchmark for sustainable employment, fair and equal pay and good working conditions is possible.  

Johannes Studinger, Head of UNI – Media Entertainment and Arts said: “It is unacceptable that public funding is awarded to companies that make productions unsafe, create a pattern for unfair and unequal pay and unsafe working conditions in our sector. European and national funding programmes need to ensure that public funding rewards companies that respect collective bargaining and provide dignified, safe and unstainable working conditions. We will campaign to change the funding programmes for .”