ILO Study Examines Challenges Facing Workers and Enterprises in Creative Industries
Muhammad Irfan
Published: November 06, 2026 | 03:45 PM
GENEVA (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 06th Nov, 2026) A new UN study examines the organisation and payment of work in creative settings, including film sets, concert stages, and more.
The report, Trends in remuneration and working time: Recorded media and live performance, focuses on recorded music, film, television, live concerts, theatre, and festivals. It highlights the wide variation in earnings across these sectors and the inconsistent recording of essential tasks like rehearsals, travel, preparation, and post-production.
Creative workers often face uncertainty in remuneration and financial risks, while independent producers, small venues, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) may struggle to recover their costs and investments, particularly due to unpredictable demand. The study also explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI).
While AI can enhance editing, subtitling, scheduling, and sound production, saving time, it may also alter skill requirements and create additional tasks for supervision and quality control. The use of existing works, voices, or performances in AI-enabled systems raises questions regarding consent, attribution, transparency, and remuneration.
"Audiences see the final film or performance but not always the work and investment behind it," said Dagmar Walter, Director of the ILO's Sectoral Policies Branch. "Ensuring adequate remuneration, well-organised working time, and sustainable creative enterprises are all part of the same discussion. Social dialogue can help employers and workers find practical solutions as the industry adapts to technology."
The study proposes several key areas for action:
- Improved data on earnings and working time
- Clearer contracts
- More predictable schedules
- Skills development
Through social dialogue and collective bargaining, governments, employers, and workers can collectively address these areas and develop practical solutions tailored to the diverse economic realities and working conditions within the creative industries.