Dialogue about Law of Artists enters second phase

The Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) and artistic trade unions agreed to form a commission that will continue with the second phase of the production of a bill that will serve as a legal framework to regulate the professionalization of the workers of the arts of the different disciplines in the country.

As part of this process, since February and weekly, MiCultura established work tables involving representatives of 17 groups, such as trade unions, artistic trade unions, folkloric associations, theatricists and ten-year singers, among others.

That dialogue table was accompanied by officials from the ministry and counselors from the Inter-American School of Social Dialogue, Tripartism and Conflict Resolution at the University of Panama.

During previous sessions, participants had a virtual and face-to-face dialogue about issues such as: work day, rest and free days, holidays, rights and obligations of the artist, remuneration, termination of contract and compensation for service time, contract, pay, commercial image and registration of artists and others that were proposed by the members of the table.

The established commission will have the task of representing not only all artistic groups but also the responsibility to write the draft of the preliminary draft, using as its basis the approaches put forward and agreed by all trade unions to be submitted to a plenary as a preamble and later to the National Assembly.

The commission will be composed of Félix Ruiz, from the Association of Dance Artists in Panama (SADANPA), Ebidio Manzané, Association of Musicians and Similar of Panama (AMUNAS), Esteban Goddard, from the Union of Arts Professionals (UPPA) and José Luis Campos, from the Network of Film Festivals.

Ellis Newman, national director of artistic education at MiCultura, referring to the talks, stated that "it has been a first phase greatly enriching by all information provided. The trade unions that have been very participatory, have all been contributing their ideas, have given their views with the aim of working together so that the work of the artist will be recognized and respected."

José "Latino" Uly Diaz, who has been involved with the six meetings held, expressed his satisfaction with MiCultura's management of letting artists in "because we have a law that will now bring us to the height of respect as danzarin, actor, musician, theatelist, singer, audiovisual producer and more, and that's very important for the conglomerate of the arts as a whole."