Covid-19 has severely damaged the cultural sector and live performance in particular. The pandemic and the resulting restrictions have led to the manifesto’s policies becoming more relevant and necessary than ever.
The Manifesto as well as a large print version can be downloaded as a PDF at the bottom of this page.
TUC Yorkshire and the Humber seeks the endorsement of the following policies by local authorities, elected mayors and combined authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). We also call on all candidates standing for election to public office to support these policies:
Regarding employment, the manifesto asserts that far too often, the creative and leisure industries are blighted by poor working conditions, pay levels less than government minima, harassment and bullying and even an expectation that professional arts practitioners should work without pay. Such practices must be eradicated.
On Public Service Broadcasting, the manifesto opposes government plans to privatise Channel 4. Concerns about BBC funding are also highlighted.
On Brexit, the manifesto asserts that a pan-EU visa and work permit waiver for creative professionals is essential. The government should provide touring support packages for those facing increased costs due to Brexit and urgently negotiate with the EU a single solution to all the issues affecting touring. Work advertisements asking EU passport holders only to apply must be opposed.
On the Climate Emergency the manifesto calls for support for the arts’ positive role in facing up to climate change and for the negative environmental impact of cultural activities to be minimised.
The manifesto covers two new areas. On Regeneration, TUC YH values culture’s role in sustaining shopping areas, supports USDAW’s Retail Recovery Plan and endorses bringing closed buildings into creative use. The manifesto also opposes the government’s imposition of a catastrophic 50% funding cut to arts subjects in higher education.
The manifesto supports a number of CLIC unions’ key policies and campaigns including Artists Union England’s Good Practice Charter, Equity’s Four Pillars for Recovery covering workforce protection, safe opening, protecting cultural infrastructure and equality, Musicians Union’s #FixStreaming campaign for an equitable, sustainable and transparent model for royalty distribution in the streaming era and NUJ’s News Recovery plan.
The manifesto highlights the disparity of DCMS and Arts Council England funding at £69 per head for Londoners and £4.58 per head for the rest of England and demands that this is redressed.
The manifesto also calls for all funding opportunities to be promoted to and accessible to grassroots organisations.
The following unions have been involved in the TUC YH Creative and Leisure Industries Committee:
Artists' Union England, BECTU Sector of Prospect, Equity, Musicians Union, NASUWT, National Union of Journalists, UNISON
In addition, the following unions support the cultural manifesto:
USDAW
ENDS
1. Accredited Living Wage employers are those who have been certified by the Living Wage Foundation as paying at least the Living Wage Foundation’s Living Wage rates https://www.livingwage.org.uk. These are distinct from and higher than the Government’s so called living wage, which are statutory minimum wage rates for over 25s.
Contacts:
Gareth Forest, TUC Policy & Campaigns Officer, t. 0113 200 1075 e: gforest@tuc.org.uk
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