Austria plans to expand artists' social insurance
According to a report in the Austrian newspaper "Der Standard", the country's Minister of Culture stated on the occasion of a discussion in the Federation of Socialist Academics (BSA) that he is working towards facilitating access to artists' social insurance in various ways.
According to the announcement, the group of beneficiaries in Austria is to be extended to include those employed in art education and teaching. The lower income threshold that entitles people to join the insurance scheme is also to be lowered. "Improving the income situation for artists and cultural workers is a priority goal of this legislative period, alongside copyright reform," the "Standard" quotes the Minister of Culture as saying.
Germany and Austria are familiar with an artists' pension scheme for cultural professionals. Efforts to introduce such insurance in Switzerland also failed during parliamentary work on the Culture Promotion Act to implement the culture article in the new Federal Constitution.
However, Swiss federal politicians agreed that a certain percentage of federal funding for artists must flow into a pension fund. However, the model will only become substantial if the cantons and municipalities also introduce comparable provisions.
