Culture Minister Natalia Intotero on Thursday had a meeting with officials of culture and media trade unions, saying that she asked them to come up with concrete proposals in order to „be able to build viable solutions together.”

„Today we had an open and constructive dialogue with officials of the National Federation of Culture and Press Unions CulturMedia. We discussed the real problems faced by employees in the cultural sector: the low level of pay and pay inequities among the staff in museums and libraries, two subjects that profoundly affect the motivation and stability of professionals in this area,” Intotero wrote in a social media post.

According to her, culture must be a priority, in close connection with education.

„I have carefully followed the protest of the trade unions organised on the National Day of Culture – a gesture that underlines the seriousness of the problems in this sector. It is essential to find sustainable solutions, and for that we need collaboration. We stressed that it is not enough to limit ourselves to requests, but we asked the unions to come up with concrete proposals in order to build viable solutions together.”

A new meeting was scheduled for today.

„I am determined to support this vital sector for our national identity and to make all necessary efforts to ensure that the voices of those in culture are heard and respected.”

CulturMedia on January 15, National Culture Day, protested wearing white armbands to draw attention to the underfunding in culture and the pay inequities employees in museums, libraries and cultural organisations face.

AGERPRES