Save our Cultural Assets!

The TUC's Creative and Leisure Industries Committee met last night and  unions represented included BECTU, Musicians Union and PCS.

As we know, whenever there is a crisis in the economy, the arts are the first to get hit. The Department of Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, predicts cuts between 25 - 30 % across the Uk's culture sector.
 The PCS Culture,Media and Sport Sector represent members working at DCMS, and it is predicted we could see cuts of up to 50% at it's headquarters.  Like their counterparts across museums, galleries, heritage and sports bodies, and like the rest of our members in PCS, our members at DCMS are campaigning to defend jobs, pensions and working conditions.

In response to  ConDem attacks on our cultural assets, PCS members have been working alongside professor Roger Seifert to produce a document, 'An Alternative Vision for the Culture Sector (the case against government spending cuts)', which was launched at PCS conference in May. Members have also mounted a campaign 'Save our Cultural Assets' : http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/culture_media_and_sport_occupational_association/

The culture sector accounts for 10% of Britain's GDP. For every £1 government spends on culture, the UK gets £2 back. The culture sector is worth 34.5bn to the UK's economy, and the British film industry alone contributes £1.2bn to the exchequer. In the UK we have five of the 20 most visited art galleries in the world and in 2008, more than 33 million people visited the UK.  Why then, are the government intent on destroying a sector which is not only boosting the economy, but continues to maintain Britain's reputation as one of the foremost centres of cultural and historical excellence?
It is clear that these attacks, like attacks across the public sector, are ideological.

Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate, has described the ConDem's plans to slash spending in the sector as a 'blitzkrieg', and says that this threatens cultural provision 'that has made Britain a civilised place to live, where all have the opportunity to enjoy the arts or celebrate our hertitage'.

In 2008 - 2009, over 4 million people from under privileged households were able to enjoy the cultural resources which DCMS oversees. Studies show that DCMS's funding of sport generates long term economic value in terms of avoided health costs and improved quality of life.

The TUC's Culture and Creative Leisure Industries Committee will seek to work alongside all creative unions, aswell as the wider movement and community groups, to raise awareness of these attacks and to form a collective response to the cuts.
I look forward to updating you on progress over the coming weeks and months.
If you would like a copy of Professor Seifert's report, please email me at: lizzie@pcs.org.uk and I will happily send you one.