MEDIA NEWS STV

MEDIA NEWS STV Bez komentára Bez prekladu Bez titulkov. Mr Rybnicek, General Manager STV, Stare Grunty 45 Bratislava 845 45 Slovak Republic Fax: + 421 2 60614400 e-mail: rybnicek@stv.sk Brussels, December 12, 2004 Re: Refusal to open negotiations with HOS Sir, EuroFIA is the European group of the International Federation of Actors (FIA). We represent professional trade unions of performers in 23 EU member states, in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, working both in live performance and in the recorded media. Performers are key contributors to the success of the audiovisual industry – including in the Slovak Republic - and must be properly remunerated for their work and for each and every form of exploitation that is made of it. Our member Herecká Obec Slovenska informed us that - despite their repeated efforts - all their calls to negotiate with STV a collective agreement setting fair working conditions and remuneration for dubbing artists remained unanswered. It also appears that your organisation has unilaterally changed the system of fees paid to performers and that, by offering them a lump sum payment, it refuses to grant them a distinct remuneration for the reuse of their work. The new system has been introduced without prior consultation with HOS despite the fact that STV promised to consult this important issue with them. Given that STV has allegedly also terminated the agreement it previously had with the performers’ collecting society OZIS regarding the payment of equitable remuneration for the communication of fixed performances to the public and that, moreover, STV has not responded to the efforts to start negotiations concerning a new agreement, dubbing artists are shockingly underpaid for their work in Slovakia. This behaviour is not tolerable by any broadcaster, let alone by STV, the main public service broadcasting organisation in the Slovak republic. Our affiliate also informed us of changes brought by STV to its internal rules regarding artists. It appears that those changes were also adopted unilaterally, despite their important consequences for performers and irrespective of previous commitments to a negotiation with the union. Within the EU, performers are reasonably remunerated for the use of their work, including for repeats and secondary uses. Employers are committed to a constructive dialogue with the unions, through which reasonable solutions can be negotiated in the interest of both parties and of the sector as a whole. While a fair and distinct remuneration for the reuse and secondary uses of performers’ work has not penalized the industry, it has become critical to our members to ensure a minimum, acceptable level of income over the years. The reports that we have received by our affiliate are disturbing and worrying. We urge you to start negotiations with Herecká Obec Slovenska without delay. Blaming the performers and their unions for the alleged difficult financial situation of public television – as was reportedly the case - is not acceptable. We reserve ourselves the freedom to forward this information to all our members in Europe, many of which have important ties with the audiovisual industry in your country. We are certain that they will not fail to take this issue seriously and may instruct their members – if necessary – to turn down work for STV, until we know that talks are seriously resumed with Herecká Obec Slovenska. We are looking forward to hearing some positive news from you soon. Best regards, Tomas Bolme President of FIA Dominick Luquer General Secretary of FIA C.c. Council of STV Committee for education, science, sport and youth, culture and media, NRSR Rudolf Chmel, Minister of Culture SR Jozef Svonavski, Vice-president, Herecká Obec Slovenska All members of FIA in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland