2024 CREW NATIONAL COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENT JOINT STATEMENT
Contract renewal: unacceptable conditions for workers
The proposals for renewing the collective agreement present serious issues that risk worsening working and remuneration conditions:
- 55-hour workweek: This proposal is unlawful and unenforceable under Italian law. Such a workload would easily lead to exceeding the 250 annual overtime hours cap in just four months, making it extremely difficult to secure new jobs throughout the year.
- Time tracking: No independent oversight by a third-party body is planned. The proposed system lacks certification; essentially, the tool changes, but existing issues remain unresolved.
- Second-level bargaining: While valid in theory, this measure is impractical in our context due to the lack of union strength and sufficient expertise at the national level. The proponents themselves admit they cannot manage it immediately, promising resources only after the contract is signed—an entirely illogical approach.
- Salaries and overtime: The new contract reduces overall pay, penalising overtime hours and effectively eliminating the “golden hour.” The value of overtime is nearly halved compared to 25 years ago; despite hourly rate increases, even at the 11th hour, it doesn’t reach the value of a golden hour. Furthermore, there must be a single wage table. Discussions about challenging film productions should not impact workers and must be addressed separately.
- Payment terms: We reject payment schedules extending beyond one week. For atypical jobs, it is crucial to guarantee immediate compensation without multi-week delays.
- Minimum crew sizes: Removing crew minimums from contractual obligations and relegating them to second-level bargaining is unacceptable. Minimum departmental composition is essential to ensure safety and work quality. Each department has specific needs that justify a guaranteed minimum number of members.
- Shifts: Shifts are already provided for in the current contract but are not implemented because many roles cannot delegate their responsibilities. This is especially true for the production department, where civil and criminal liabilities also apply to many workers.
- Sixth workday, compensatory rest, and hour banks: The sixth working day must be eliminated at a national level. It is unrealistic to think all hours exceeding 48 weekly can be compensated with paid rest or contributions. Additionally, INPS (National Institute for Social Security) deems the hour bank system inefficient, rendering it impractical.
- A.S. For Cinema: After seven years of total inactivity, the bilateral training body will receive 0.20% of every contract across the national industry for accreditations, professional certifications, and other activities, equating to several million euros annually. The management of these resources must be entirely transparent, avoiding conflicts of interest and concentration of power in a few hands.
- Scope: The contract should extend to all subcontractor companies associated with various departments. This would help combat the rampant practice of unchecked subcontracting, which harms workers’ rights and the artistic quality of the work.
- Voting procedures: National voting procedures remain uncertain, with little clarity on ensuring democratic participation in decision-making.
- Implementation: Before approving a new contract, it is necessary to establish an observatory and initiate a transitional and experimental phase. Proceeding without checks is a leap into the unknown, devoid of safeguards, at a time when the sector is already highly vulnerable.
We, the workers, demand a contract that guarantees transparency, reasonable hours, tangible rights, and adequate pay.
We believe it is essential to hold a further open and collective discussion before advancing negotiations, to constructively address these critical issues. Only then can fair and sustainable working conditions be ensured for everyone.
The associations and committees signatories:
AIARSE – AIC – AITR – AITS – APAI – APCI – CCS – EMIC – #SIAMOAITITOLIDICODA
Wednesday, 27 November 2024
