the report of the pilot project - International Labour Organization

Report of the Pilot Research Project on Children Working in Cultural and Artistic Activities
- This kind of employment should not interfere with the education of the child; producers are
usually not sensitive about the education of the child.
- Whenever it gets too intensive, the child must be allowed to drop work and take rest.
- Child actors experiencing rapid changes in adolescence are not preferred; the family must
explain this well to the child and help him to remedy for vanishing interest in his acting.
- It must be considered that selection of child actors depends upon many factors and there are
frequent last minute changes to avoid any disillusionment on the part of the child.
- Contract terms should not be determined unilaterally and these terms must have respect to
child rights as well.
4.1.8. Findings from Interviews with Trade and Professional Union Representatives
Since its establishment, the Union of Film Workers (Sine-Sen) has been engaged in intensive and
systematic efforts on the rights of workers and working conditions. One of the former leaders of the
union says, “There were intensive efforts in the 1990s to get organized and many meetings to discuss
the problems of the sector.”
A trade union representative stated that while violations of rights in working life are brought to the
judiciary by trade unions, their membership is negatively affected by forms of informal employment.
A trade union representative pointed out to the importance of having names appear in titles: “Titles
are critical in identifying workers and pursuing their rights; so all people working in this sector
should appear in titles.” The same person went on and said the following about the perception of
“being an artist” versus being a worker: “Actors do not consider themselves as workers and stay away
from unions. But since they are the face of the sector looking out it is important that they are mobilized
for unionization efforts.” Trade union representatives added that they are following violations of the
rights of child actors, but cannot take cases to the judiciary since there is no application to unions in
these matters.
Representatives of the Performers’ Union say their target is to systematically address and solve the
problems of actors deriving from working conditions. They say they adopt the principle of strong
union action by stressing the advantages associated with union membership. They are convinced that
defending the rights of actors through the union would facilitate improvements in working conditions
in line with the principle of “decent work.”
Unionists say child actors too can be union members: “Child actors can have membership upon
the permission of their parents. We want to increase the number of our child members by talking to
informed and sensitive parents.” As to sources of information and detailed data concerning child
actors they say, “The number of child actors is uncertain. The union must start a work on this. At
present, you can give no number except the number of children whose names appear in titles.”
The role of casting agencies as an intermediary between child actors and producers is stated as
follows: “Among all casting agencies those who have their ‘names’ heard do good business. These
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