ILO Calls for Stronger Collective Bargaining to Protect Workers in Creative Sectors

From film and theatre to digital media and visual arts, the arts sector is one of the world’s most diverse sources of employment and innovation.

A new International Labour Organization (ILO) Policy Guidance Note is shining a spotlight on how collective bargaining and social dialogue can transform working conditions for millions of workers across the global arts and entertainment industry. The guidance—Achieving decent work in the arts and entertainment sector: The role of collective bargaining—draws on more than 50 collective agreements and national examples to map out practical solutions for building a fair, inclusive and sustainable creative economy.

From film and theatre to digital media and visual arts, the arts sector is one of the world’s most diverse sources of employment and innovation. Yet it also remains one of the most precarious, with challenges such as informality, short-term employment, unpredictable earnings, safety risks, and extremely limited access to social protection.

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A Sector Rich in Creativity but Plagued by Precarious Work

Globally, millions of creative workers operate under conditions that fall short of decent work standards. Key challenges include:

• High levels of informality, especially among self-employed and freelance artists

• Irregular work patterns and unstable contracts

• Weak access to social protection, including health insurance and pensions

• Rapid digital transformation, raising questions about intellectual property, job security and the impact of artificial intelligence

• Safety concerns, particularly in live performance and film production

The ILO guidance argues that collective bargaining—formal negotiations between workers’ organizations and employers—offers a powerful tool to improve wages, safety standards, and basic working conditions.

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Examples of Progress: Innovations in Collective Agreements Worldwide

The report highlights pioneering agreements from around the world, showcasing how social partners have already begun shaping a more equitable arts labour market:

Germany: Film Industry Agreement (2024)

• Shorter working weeks

• Strict limits on maximum daily work hours

• Substantial increases in overtime pay

• Improved safety standards on set

Belgium: Minimum Fees for Self‑Employed Artists (2024)

• Sets the country’s first minimum fees for performers and technicians in publicly funded shows

• Ensures fair compensation for freelance workers

• Creates a baseline standard for cultural institutions

Senegal: First Collective Agreement for Music Sector (2024)

• Establishes minimum pay rates

• Provides formal social security coverage for musicians

• Introduces a simplified contributions system

United States: Protections for Social Media Influencers (2021)

• Includes influencers in a union-negotiated benefits system

• Addresses the emerging field of digital content creation

• Sets global precedent for regulating online creative labour

These examples demonstrate the versatility and necessity of collective bargaining to keep pace with industry changes.

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AI, Digitalization and the Changing Nature of Creative Work

The guidance emphasizes that the rise of artificial intelligence, digital production technologies and algorithm-driven distribution platforms poses new and complex challenges for creative workers.

“Collective bargaining allows workers and employers to shape solutions that reflect the realities of the sector, be it conditions of employment or emerging issues related to digitalization,” — Frank Hagemann, Director, ILO Sectoral Policies Department.

The report outlines strategies for ensuring AI technologies complement rather than replace human creativity, protect artists’ rights, and maintain fair compensation for digital content use.

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Role of Governments: Using Public Funding to Elevate Labour Standards

The publication stresses that government cultural funding programmes can be instrumental in uplifting labour rights when they are tied to:

• Compliance with collective agreements

• Transparent reporting on pay and conditions

• Minimum remuneration standards

• Fair contracting practices

This approach helps ensure that public investment leads to sustainable and equitable outcomes for all creative workers.

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A Call to Action: Strengthen Laws, Social Dialogue and Bargaining Rights

Building on the conclusions of the ILO’s 2023 Technical Meeting on the Future of Work in the Arts and Entertainment Sector, the guidance urges governments, employers and workers to jointly:

• Modernize labour laws to include freelance and self-employed artists

• Expand collective bargaining coverage

• Strengthen workers’ organizations and employer unions

• Foster ongoing social dialogue across creative industries

• Invest in capacity‑building to help unions negotiate effectively

“This publication provides practical pathways for ILO constituents to make decent work a reality in the creative economy,” — Margherita Licata, ILO Technical Specialist. “It shows that artistic freedom must go hand in hand with fair and safe working conditions.”

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A Turning Point for Creative Workers Globally

As the creative economy grows—and as digital platforms reshape how art is produced and monetized—the ILO’s new guidance offers governments and industry leaders a roadmap for building a sector that protects workers’ rights and sustains artistic innovation.

By embracing collective bargaining and social dialogue, countries can help ensure that cultural expression is supported by dignified, secure and fairly paid work.