Élisabeth Borne, Minister of Labour, Employment and Insertion, and Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Minister of Culture, brought together the members of the Conseil national des professions du spectacle (CNPS) today. This meeting was an opportunity for the ministers to clarify the modalities of reopening and to announce measures of support for the intermittent and the employment of the cultural sector. The ministers presented the measures planned by the Government to take over from the «white year», which, announced on May 6, 2020 by the President of the Republic, allowed the intermittent, in the context of the health crisis, have their compensation extended until August 31, 2021.

 These announcements follow a phase of intense consultation, marked in particular by the in-depth work of André Gauron, whose report constituted a basis for discussion for exchanges with the social partners.

First, the white year is extended by four months until December 31, 2021 to maintain the level of compensation for intermittents until all activities are back to normal.

 Moreover, in view of their situation on that date, intermittent workers will benefit from three safety nets:

  • An extension of the period of affiliation beyond 12 months, within the limits of their last opening of rights, in order to be able to justify the number of hours allowing to benefit from the intermittence regime;
  • A catch-up clause whose eligibility conditions will be temporarily abolished (1);
  • Arrangements for the professionalization and solidarity allowance: possibility for intermittent workers who have benefited from the catch-up clause but have not been able to accumulate the necessary hours for their readmission to have their right to the DPA studied under the same conditions as if they had not been eligible for the catch-up clause.

These measures will allow those who, for lack of sufficient periods of work, would not be able to renew their entitlement to benefits to have access to compensation throughout 2022.

Second, enhanced support is provided to young people who start their careers in the cultural and entertainment professions.

Thus, for young people under the age of 30 who have difficulty in obtaining sufficient hours to access the compensation scheme provided for in Annexes 8 and 10, Exceptional support will be in place for 6 months starting in September 2021 by temporarily reducing intermittent access to 338 hours. 

Then, in order to help them in their job search, the “1 youth, 1 solution” plan, coordinated by Élisabeth Borne, will specifically integrate tools for connecting young artists and technicians, as well as job and apprenticeship offers. A part of the measures provided for in the plan will be specifically geared to the cultural and entertainment professions (Parcours Emploi Compétence, Contrats Initiative Emploi, apprentissage).

Third, and to complement the €20 million announced in March 2021 for support for the most fragile artistic teams, artist residencies and young graduates, three employment assistance schemes will benefit from additional funding. EUR 30 million:

  • aid to the payment of contributions through the Single Window of the Occasional Show;
  • strengthening of GIP aid for coffee and culture;
  • strengthening aid to small theatres and aid to businesses to compensate artists for their rehearsal time under FONPEPS.

Finally, entitlement to sickness and maternity per diems is maintained until December 31, 2021 for intermittent performers whose entitlement period would have expired as of March 1, 2020. This applies to all work stoppages as of April 1, 2021.

In addition, to ensure the continuity of rights, health insurance will apply this measure retroactively to stops made on or after 1 January 2021 for maternity and sick leave of 1 month or more. This retroactivity will apply as of June 1, 2020 for those whose retention period expired for three months.

Support measures to accompany the recovery of cultural places will also be announced soon.  

Élisabeth Borne said: As we have protected the intermittents since the beginning of the crisis, we continue to support them with these new measures that will allow everyone to participate in the recovery without worrying about the next day ».

Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin stressed that ' The measures announced today in support of employment, and young professionals, of a new extension of the rights of intermittents from September 2021, more protective and faithful to the French model of support for intermittent performers, allow an effective recovery. The conditions are now in place to accompany the reopening of the halls and allow artists and the public to meet again ».

 

(1) The conditions of ordinary law are, on the one hand, to justify a length of service of 5 years of affiliation in the 10 years preceding the end of the employment contract which allowed the last opening of entitlement, that those five years were not used to verify the seniority requirement under a previous catch-up clause.