Fair pay and job security must be at the heart of Scotland’s culture
The Scottish Greens are calling for fair work to be made a mandatory and enforceable condition of all public arts funding.
Ahead of a Scottish Government debate on Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy, the party’s culture spokesperson, Dr Q Manivannan, is urging Ministers to put fair pay, secure contracts and safe working conditions at the heart of the culture sector.
The call follows recommendations from the Independent Culture Fair Work Task Force, which reported in December. Its recommendations included greater support for freelance artists and exploring a universal basic income for artists.
Q said:
“You cannot build a thriving cultural scene on poverty pay, insecure contracts and unsafe workplaces. Freelancers, artists, performers, technicians, writers and support staff behind Scotland’s cultural life deserve to be paid fairly and treated with dignity.
“When public money is being used to support our cultural sector it should be setting an example and best practice. Fair work must be part of the deal.
“The Scottish Government should put that principle at the heart of its investments in the culture sector, and implement the Culture Fair Work Task Force’s recommendations. We want Scotland to be proud not just of the culture we create, but also of the conditions in which it is created.
“Art is part of the fabric of who we are. At its best it tells us stories, challenges us, brings people together and helps us understand the country and the world around us. Scotland’s art is celebrated around the world and enriches all of our lives, but we cannot take the people who make that culture for granted."