Theater performances, concerts and access to museums could be suspended on weekends and legal holidays starting this fall, András Demeter warned Thursday.
András Demeter announces weekends without cultural events, starting in the fall. Photo: Mediafax
Shows, concerts and visits to museums could become inaccessible to the public on weekends and on legal holidays, starting this fall, because of the costs that cultural institutions can no longer bear. The announcement was made by the Minister of Culture, András Demeter, during an interview on Radio Romania Cultural.
The budget no longer supports additional payments
The reason is the provisions of the collective labor contract at the branch level, which obliges additional payments for the activities carried out on Saturday, Sunday and in legal holidays. According to the minister, these costs risk to completely block the organization of cultural events these days.
“It is a collective labor contract applicable, in force, and the world should make calculations because, according to the clauses accepted in this collective labor agreement, there is normally the risk that no cultural event in the public sector on Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays will no longer take place in the autumn.” András Demeter warned.
In this context, the minister stressed that the effects of the collective labor agreement will be felt mainly by the local authorities, because most of the public cultural institutions in the country, whether it is museums, theaters or libraries, are subordinated to them, not the Ministry of Culture.
“Moreover, this contract creates obligations especially in the yard of the local authorities, because the overwhelming majority of the public cultural institutions, or libraries, museums, theaters, are under the authority of these water. Only a few are in the Ministry of Culture”, explained Demeter, adding that “Everyone who finances the public cultural institutions, during this summer, should make some more in-depth calculations than the private sector does.”
In this context, the minister calls on a dialogue between local and unions to find solutions that prevent the blocking of cultural activities on weekends and in legal holidays.
At the same time, András Demeter pointed out that VAT increase in the field of culture strikes in particular the independent sector and announced that it will try, in the next legislative session, to obtain a differentiated VAT rate for culture.
As an immediate measure to mitigate the effects, the minister proposes to modify the Fiscal Procedure Code, so that the payment of the VAT is made at the time of collection, both for the sale of books and for the show tickets.
