24 Sep NO CULTURE, NO FUTURE.......
From Argot Flamenco, we want to echo the manifesto of urgent measures of an entire cultural sector in a single union that was mobilised on 17 September 2020, given the dramatic situation we are currently going through due to the COVID-19, all organised and coordinated from Alerta Roja.
URGENT ACTION MANIFESTO:
The Entertainment and Events sector brings together professionals and companies with an estimated direct impact on the economic fabric of 3.8% of the Spanish GDP and is the creator of 700,000 related jobs.
It is a very heterogeneous and fragmented sector, with the essential characteristic of transversality and dependence on other sectors, such as Culture and Sport, Industry and Tourism. This translates into structural fragility and alarming legal insecurity, which is becoming more evident now than ever, demanding a complex effort to address a homogenised, specific regulation adapted to the special circumstances and particularities in which the activity is carried out, marked by seasonality and intermittency.
According to what was stated in the "17S Mobilisations Communiqué", the sector is going through an extreme situation, which, if not alleviated, will mean the ruin of thousands of families, the impossibility of maintaining employment and the future unviability of the companies and the activity of many professionals.
In the absence of recognition of a clear vulnerability, as well as of concrete support from the Government, it is vital to give visibility to the worrying situation of the In the absence of a clear recognition of vulnerability, as well as ofconcrete support from the government, it is vital to give visibility to the worrying situation of the Entertainment and Events sector.
This extreme situation, which is being experienced all over the world, has set in motion initiatives to give visibility to the current situation of the sector. In our country, this situation has led to the need to mobilise together with Europe and the rest of the world, under the campaign #wemakeevents #redalert #hacememoseventos #alertaroja.
The effort of all professionals, who have united as never before to carry out a great mobilisation in different cities of Spain on 17S, under the same slogan and direction.
We urge the Spanish government and the Ministries of Labour, Finance, Economic Affairs, Culture and Sport, and Industry to take urgent measures in the coming weeks to guarantee the survival of the sector, as well as to immediately create a sectoral roundtable to define the needs of the sector, affected by the seasonality and intermittency of the activity, giving priority to regulation through the negotiation of a national sectoral collective bargaining agreement.
The urgent measures to rescue the sector are:
That the Entertainment and Events Sector be recognised as one of the sectors mainly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as it has been forced to cease its activity even before the declaration of the state of alarm, and that, like the tourism sector and due to its transversal nature, it be considered by public institutions and administrations as a particularly affected and priority sector.
Immediate reactivation of the cultural and events agendas of public administrations, especially those of local entities, in strict compliance with all health safety protocols.
For self-employed persons:
3º.- Extension of the special benefit for cessation of activity, until its reactivation with a recovery of 100% of the amounts, to those who continue with their paralysed activity, with 100% exemption of the RETA quota, and the possibility of access by reducing the requirement of a 30% reduction in income in relation to the same quarters of the previous year. Staggered contribution according to days worked.
Adoption of specific legislative measures for those who, due to the seasonal and intermittent nature of the activity, were not registered in the social security system or were on sick leave when the pandemic started. Access to benefits for cessation of activity until reactivation with a recovery of 100% of the capacity.
5º.- Recognition of Extraordinary cessation of activity due to force majeure for self-employed workers with less than 2 years of registration in the RETA. Access to benefits for cessation of activity until their reactivation with a recovery of 100% of the amounts paid.
6º.- Reduction of the tax rate and/or establishment of deductions in the IRPF quota for self-employed workers and professionals of the sector from their incorporation to the activity, taking into account the seasonality and intermittence of their activity.
For employed persons:
7º - During the period of inactivity, and until it is reactivated with a recovery of 100% of the capacity, workers will not see their right to benefits and/or subsidies exhausted , taking into account the retroactive nature of this measure from 14 March 2020.
8º.- Recognition of intermittent activity and adoption of legislative measures concerning the contribution and social protection system, allowing automatic unemployment benefits to be obtained in each period of inactivity between employment contracts, once a minimum number of hours have been worked.
For companies:
Recovery of ERTEs due to total force majeure with exemption of 100% of social security contributions, until it is possible to work with 100% of the capacity and maintain the benefit of all personnel affected by an ERTE at 70% of the Regulatory Base.
10º.- Specific adaptation of the employment regulation instruments to the seasonality and intermittency of the activity as the activity recovers. The new regulation of partial force majeure is totally incompatible with the dynamics of work in this sector, which only requires the reincorporation of workers for a few days, even in these cases, contributions must be paid both for the reactivated workers and for the workers who remain in the ERTE, which means that companies in the sector have to work at a loss.
11º.- Reduction of the Corporate Tax rate for the financial years 2020 and 2021, and exceptional deferrals without guarantees on tax debts of any amount, to 18 months without interest. Exemption for the same periods from the tax on economic activities, the tax on real estate property used for the development of the activity, as well as local taxes, rates and special taxes linked to the development of the business activity.
For the sector:
12º.- Establishment of direct aid to self-employed persons and companies in the sector that accredit a decrease in the volume of income of more than 50% in relation to the previous year, whether or not linked to the investment made in previous years and to the level of indebtedness.
13º.- Application of reduced VAT in the sectors linked to the Cultural, Entertainment and Conference, Meetings, Incentive and Events Tourism Industry (MICE), as a measure to boost activity.
Moratorium on ICO credits until the reactivation of the activity, understood as the recovery of 100% of the capacity.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND WORK FOR
AND TOKEEP OUR CULTURE ALIVE
WE ARE PROFESSIONALS,
WE ARE CULTURE