French Labor Strike Threatens Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is coming and with growing headlines, many news from works org. is also grabbing our attention. Recently freelance festival workers have been calling for a strike during this event.

A French collective representative workers will go on strike during this film festival. An official statement came from the group on Monday.

The major reason behind this call of strike is labour reform and unemployment status.  

The French organization brings together hundreds of festival workers including projectionists, drivers and caterers. If they start the strike, there will be huge tension during the Cannes Film Festival.

The workers in France TV industry who completed certain fixed number of hours in the year can get special benefits or compensation – during their unemployment periods.   .

But the French government has already cut the amount of compensation given to workers by half.

And starting July 1, the government plans to introduce new legislation that will require freelance workers to complete more working hours in the year to receive benefits.

Jean-Charles Canu, Cannes’ Directors Fortnight who is a prominent member of Sous les écrans de la dèche said this to a reputed news source Variety.

Canu said, “If it’s enacted, this bill will cause about 80% of festival workers to change jobs because they’ll won’t have enough to make ends meet.”

He also confirmed that Govt of France is working on a plan and about to introduce new law which will make harder for workers to get benefits and compensations during employment period.

These changes are causing a great deal of uncertainty for festival workers, to the point where many of us may be forced to quit our jobs. This, in turn, puts the events we love at risk.