Social dialogue

Traditional labour-management relations have problems coping with technology and other developments in media and entertainment, because the workforce is more fragmented than before, and enterprises are subcontracting work that used to be core business. Thus new forms of social dialogue and interaction are seen by the ILO as essential for developing these industries at all levels; a means to address the impact of information and communication technologies, and issues relating to social protection and informal sector workers in media and entertainment; and a way to promote training as a central strategy to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders. There is great scope for such initiatives in this restructured, more globalized and technological environment, and the Internet and e-mail offer increased scope for communication and organization within and across sectors and countries. Examples of fruitful consultation, cooperation and so on are given in Chapter 8 of the ILO’s 2004 Report, Chapter 9 of the Background document for the ILO’s 2000 Symposium and in the section entitled "Social dialogue, social responsibility and voluntary initiatives" of the Final Report of the 2000 Symposium (pdf, 218k).

A joint declaration (pdf, 79k) on social dialogue to address change was adopted by a meeting of employers' and workers' representatives from the audiovisual industry from across all the European Union member States in May 2006. Global framework agreements (that include reference to several ILO Conventions) have now been signed between workers' organizations and their employers at Nampak (2006), Quebecor (2007) and Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) Media Group (2007).

Useful Links/Resources

European Industrial Relations Observatory On-line

• Information on the Performing Arts sector
  
• Information on the Publishing and Media sector