Challenges and opportunities for decent work in the culture and media sectors

There are nearly 30 million culture and media workers globally, and their work makes a significant contribution to their respective countries’ social and economic development. The creative and collaborative nature of their work – compounded by continuous technological developments – has resulted in a proliferation of diverse working arrangements for culture and media workers, including freelance, self-employment, and part-time work. Such arrangements can offer independence, flexibility and employment opportunities, but can also affect their working conditions, their ability to participate in collective bargaining or fully enjoy freedom of association, as well as their access basic social protection.

The present analysis brings to light the extremely diversified employment conditions and decent work issues within these sectors. It also highlight gaps and policy options to ensure that specific types of employment relationships, and the need for flexibility and independence among the workers in the culture and media sectors, do not undermine these workers’ right to equitable treatment, regardless of their contractual relationship. It also provides concrete guidance around measures needed to ensure that workers in the media and culture sectors can adapt to the work of the future, including actions to adjust the market and (re)training these workers in the light of technological developments.