The IAEA alliance’s programme of activities for the audiovisual sector in India started on the 25 and 26 March 2013, with a seminar in Mumbai which brought together a dozen or so unions representing different sector professions.

Coordinated on site by Mr. Opender Chanana, the programme is backed by LO-TCO (Sweden), which is also an IAEA partner for capacity-building activities in Africa and Latin America.

Despite the personal commitment of their leaders, all volunteers, trade unions in the live performance and audiovisual sectors are not in a position to promote the process of social dialogue which the sector needs. The already existing memorandum of understanding and legal provisions in the field of contracts are currently unheeded, doubtlessly in part because of the absence of professional permanent staff in these unions.

The programme will be continuing in 2013 with a more in-depth definition of the needs and priorities expressed by the unions concerned, with a view to giving concrete follow-up to these recommendations between 2014-2016, within the framework of a new project.

Participants at the Mumbai seminar unanimously adopted a declaration demanding rapid ratification by the Indian government of the Beijing Treaty protecting audiovisual performances.