The Union of Entertainment, Audiovisual and Music Workers (Cena-STE) considers that the solution to workplace harassment lies in an “Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) much more capable and much stronger.”
In statements to the Lusa agency about the recent complaints of harassment and sexual assault in the field of music, the leader of Cena-STE, Rui Galveias, stated that the union structure to which he belongs has “many complaints” of all forms of harassment, but above all of “moral harassment”.
Last week, through the dissemination of testimonies on social networks, reports were made public about cases of rape, sexual abuse and harassment in the artistic world, particularly in the field of music, particularly jazz.
According to the newspaper Público, 79 complaints were identified. – “about 18 people mainly from the world of music, crimes, sexual harassment of minors, rapes, even “stalking” (chase) and “stealth” (no use of condoms without the consent of the partner)” – in “emails” complaint created following the accusation of DJ Liliana Cunha, known in the artistic world as Tágide, against the jazz pianist João Pedro Coelho.
“In this specific case, which is the world of education, it is a known form, unfortunately, in our sector” and in which the union has “many, many, many complaints,” said Rui Galveias.
“In a sector like ours, which has a lot of precariousness and very little wage appreciation, the value of work today is very low in any form and contractual ties are largely based on green income and precariousness, all the conditions exist for harassment. ”, he stressed.
According to Rui Galveias, Cena-STE considers that “the first moment” of harassment occurs “at the time of hiring”since it is one in which “people are subject to rules and forms of relationships that are not the most appropriate.”
Even because, he argued, harassment is the result of “power relations”where one party has greater power than the other, which takes “various forms.”
Therefore, “when people are in an unequal power relationship, harassment appears more strongly and with more consequences.”
Regarding the numerous complaints of harassment that reach the union, it “works with lawyers when the victims of harassment are available to do so”, since it presupposes “issues of privacy and personal issues.”
The “many complaints” of harassment that Cena-STE is aware of are, “mainly moral harassment” and “in many cases people end up delaying or are not able to react”They feel unable to react, they submit to this harassment and remain in possible employment relationships,” he observed.
Rui Galveias also said that there were some cases in which the union filed complaints, with consequences for those who carried out this harassment. “But [o assédio] It is very subject to the context of the work itself and to the way in which peers are also subject to positions of fragility,” he highlighted.
Without quantifying the number of complaints that reach the union for not having this information, Rui Galveias stressed that people “They’re actually scared.” “They are afraid to take a stand, because they are afraid of being out of work and they are subject to it,” he stressed.
As an example, he cited the “systematic use” of the 12-hour work day, “which are not legal and are based on the contract itself.”
“When There is work with rights and salaries are minimally decent in cases [de assédio] They are smaller, There are fewer, and the consequences for those who practice them are greater,” he emphasized, unlike the places with more cases of harassment, which are those “where there are fewer employment contracts.”
Rui Galveias stressed that the solution to harassment lies in the need to raise awareness in society, changing mentalities, but also through measures from the central administration.
“What we needed was a much more capable and much stronger ACT and much more capable of imposing rules in work contexts that defend workers from harassment,” he concluded.
Already this week, The Plateia association regrets the lack of a complaints system in the artistic world and “effective protection” of victims of harassment by promoting “structural” changes, which help prevent cases, and legislative changes.
For its part, the Portuguese Victim Support Association (APAV) called for reports of cases of harassment, rape and sexual abuse in the artistic world to be taken seriously, so that they do not disappear “in the foam of days.”
Source: Observadora
