De Wispelaere, F., Schepers, W., Jorens, Y., Nerinckx, E., Rocca, M., & Duchateau, L. (2021). Collective Agreements in the Live Performance Sector in France
This report is part of a broader European research project exploring the social security and employment status of highly mobile workers in the live performance sector, focusing here on France as a national case study. Authored by researchers from KU Leuven, Ghent University, and CNRS–University of Strasbourg, the study offers an in-depth legal and structural analysis of two key collective agreements: one for public sector companies (1984) and one for private sector companies (2012). It outlines how these agreements govern employment conditions for artistic, technical, and administrative personnel in the live performance field, excluding national theatres and state employees. The study emphasizes the complexity of regulating cross-border work in this highly mobile sector, particularly around the coordination of social security systems and the enforcement of labour rights. It also highlights challenges linked to precarious employment, variable engagement lengths, and differences in coverage between public and private employers. Through its detailed mapping of collective bargaining practices in France, the report serves both as a policy resource and a tool for improving labour standards and coordination across EU Member States in the cultural sector.