- Emmanuel Macron presented the outline of the culture support plan on Wednesday.
- The rights of intermittent workers will be automatically extended until the summer of 2021.
- In return, they are asked to commit, especially during extra-curricular time.
Make way for Monsieur Loyal for the announcements. Emmanuel Macron started out on Wednesday to support the cultural sector. The Head of State has presented several measures by videoconference which attempt to respond to the call for help from artists. In a column published on April 30, many cultural figures (Clara Luciani, Jean Dujardin, Catherine Deneuve) had asked the president for action in favor of a sector, which supports "1.3 million people". They urged him in particular to automatically extend the rights of intermittent workers until the summer of 2021, via a "white year".
Intermittent workers (technicians, sound engineer, artists, etc.) must normally justify at least 507 hours worked over a year to be compensated by Pôle emploi when they have no contracts. The coronavirus has forced theaters and other cultural places to close indefinitely. The major cultural events of this summer, such as music festivals (Eurockéennes, etc.), will not take place. Many intermittent workers therefore feared a dark year in 2020, with the risk of losing their status.
"Riding the tiger"
During his remote exchange with different cultural players - singer Catherine Ringer, directors Eric Tolédano and Olivier Nakache, director Stanislas Nordey, and others - Emmanuel Macron wanted to reassure them. In shirt, sleeves rolled up, the president has acted the principle of an automatic extension of the rights of intermittent workers until the summer of 2021. "Many will not be able to work their hours (…), I will give enough confidence" assured The head of state.
But Emmanuel Macron's philosophy is that of give and take. "I don't like this idea of a white year, because it suggests that we are doing nothing," he explained. In return for having the assurance of keeping their status, intermittent workers are called upon to participate in new forms of shows or cultural expression in the coming months. "We have to get on the tiger," said the head of state, signifying by this animal (or circus) metaphor that the world of culture should not remain inactive despite the presence of the coronavirus.
A "revolution" in access to culture
What could the work of intermittent workers in the coming months consist of? "We have schools that we will gradually reopen," said the head of state. Let us use this period to make a revolution in access to culture and art ”. Very concretely, the intermittent could be mobilized during the extra-curricular time of the pupils. "If we [the intermittent workers] are ready to give one to two hours a week, we will find a way to count them," promised Emmanuel Macron.
Like him, the head of state also wants them to roll up their sleeves in July and August. "We will have to reinvent a different summer," he said. We have millions of children, young people, who will not be able to go far on vacation ”. The president therefore dreams of "a learning and cultural summer" where young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods could, for example, attend rehearsals in theaters. "We will change their lives if we can do that," he exclaimed.
So much for the presidential vision. It must now take shape on the ground. Instructs the Ministries of Culture and Labor to find the right formula to validate the announcements for this Wednesday. As for the Ministry of Public Accounts, it will have to add a new line to the already significant slate of the coronavirus crisis. In a document published at the end of March, Unédic estimated that each month of inactivity for all intermittent workers would entail an additional cost of at least 70 million euros (assuming that all intermittent workers have their rights maintained during the period).
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Culture
Compensation fund, rights of intermittent workers… How Emmanuel Macron wants to support the cultural community
- Emmanuel Macron
- Culture
- Economy
- Intermittents from the show
- Confinement
- Coronavirus