Madam, - With reference to the letter in your edition of November 14th on the job rights of entertainment and media workers, as working journalists we support the campaign to restore their rights to union representation in the negotiation of minimum pay rates.
These workers - the photographers supplying pictures for regional newspapers, the actors giving a human voice to advertisements, the musicians playing at gigs and concerts, the crew members servicing the film industry - have been identified by the Competition Authority as commercial enterprises, individual "undertakings" required to compete with each other for work.
As a result, unions have been forced to abandon the long-standing practice of negotiating basic pay rates, terms and conditions for their freelance members, many of whom are among the most vulnerable workers in our society. The inevitable consequence of this decision is a severe drop in pay levels as jobs go to the lowest bidders.
European Union competition law exists to promote consumer interests by preventing price-fixing by powerful cartels or the creation of monopolies by big business. It was never intended to deny workers on modest pay in insecure professions the right to union representation.
With the support of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the National Union of Journalists and Siptu (through Irish Equity, the Musicians' Union of Ireland, and the Film and Entertainment Branch) have launched a campaign seeking amendments to the Industrial Relations Acts of 1990 and related legislation to redress this injustice.
We believe such an amendment is needed to protect the rights of actors, musicians, journalists, film technicians and others, and in the process, to protect our deservedly renowned arts tradition. - Yours, etc,
RONAN BRADY, JAMES DOWNEY, MARTIN FITZPATRICK, MARY MAHER, SEAMUS MARTIN, SUSAN McKAY, DÓNALL O BRÁONAIN, FINTAN O'TOOLE, RONAN QUINLAN, Dublin 6.