Mexico. On January 17, the first Forum for the improvement of working conditions in Mexico's audiovisual industry was held, convened by the Mexican Association of Cinematographers, AMC, in order to analyze what they consider to be the deterioration of working conditions within the industry in recent years.
According to the document through which the call was made, this deterioration is due to the intention of reducing costs and being more competitive. Among the points they point out are:
1. Working days of 10 hours. This is established in the country's labor law, but the reality is that often the calls extend far beyond this convention.
2. Ten hours of rest between calls. For the same reason as the previous point, it is essential to guarantee the minimum hours of rest of all the staff.
3. Maximum 3 overtime hours per day, of which the first two must be paid at 10% of the contracted fee (divided by the 10 hours) and the third hour at 20%. The normal working day is from Monday to Friday and on Saturdays you can work only half a shift after agreement between the parties. Overtime will automatically have a value of 20%, according to the previous point, on weekends and holidays.
4. Cut to eat for one hour every 6 hours. It is unacceptable to have staff hungry or fed inappropriate food. It is also essential to ensure adequate hydration for all constantly.
5. Minimum security conditions.
6. Travel and displacement: In case of filming more than 100 kilometers from the City, guarantee the adequate accommodation of the staff. Working outside the place of origin, the filming shift begins at the time of the pick up at the hotel and ends when the staff returns to the place of accommodation. Per diems must be paid regardless of food and laundry service.
7. Ensure that all transportation is in good mechanical condition and that all drivers are trained and rested. Prohibit the use of cell phones to drivers during the time they are driving. Have seat belts ready to use and that work. Drivers must and are responsible for each occupant in the vehicle to wear a seat belt even in the city.
8. When the call starts before 7am and/or ends after 10pm, extra compensation must be paid to the crew for taxi.
9. Work permits: Ensure that working conditions are equal for all, nationals and foreigners. If a production decides to hire foreigners, it must ensure that it has the permits of the corresponding authority.
10. Timely payment. Fee payments are sometimes delayed by months being this an abuse for the worker. Workers cannot bear the burden of financing companies. The correct thing is that in the filming of long projects the payments are rigorously every week. In short shoots the payments must be, at the latest, the month of filming the project.
11. Generate spaces free of violence, discrimination and harassment for workers, women and men.
In this meeting they convened all the areas that are linked to a production, such as: producers, directors, cinematographers, assistant directors, sound engineers, production designers, art directors, costume designers, continuist makeup artists, gaffers, foquistas, steady cams, camera managers and workers of rental houses, locationists, actors, stunts, among others.
After this first meeting, each of the participating associations will meet with their guild to analyze the issues raised and a second meeting was called for next February 24 in which they will define the steps to follow.
