Spain Approves 'Artist Statute' to Modernize Labor Laws and Protect Minors

• The Spanish government has approved a new royal decree regulating the special labor relationship of artists in performing, audiovisual, and musical arts.
• The regulation introduces strict controls for workers under 16, requiring formal employment status and a unified, nationwide authorization procedure.
• New protections against harassment include mandatory 'intimacy coordinators' for scenes of a sexual or intimate nature.
• Intellectual property and digital rights are now explicitly protected, with clear, separate documentation required for these payments in salary slips.

Labor Protections for Minors

• Artistically active minors under 16 may only work as employees, ending informal, private, or family-based arrangements.
• A single, streamlined national authorization process replaces regional variations, allowing for easier multi-region work and specific provisions for substitutes.
• The decree enforces age-appropriate maximum working hours and sets strict limitations on night work for those aged 16 and 17.

Working Conditions and Harassment Prevention

• Effective working time is more clearly defined to include pre-production, post-production, and promotional activities.
• Short-term contract workers are now entitled to pro-rated pay for unused vacation time.
• Anti-harassment measures are adapted to the intermittent nature of the industry, requiring faster, more effective protection protocols for victims.

Union Response

• Major unions including CCOO, UGT, UAA, and CONARTE welcomed the decree as a long-overdue modernization of the sector.
• The unions expressed disappointment that the legislation failed to establish limits on the use of generative artificial intelligence, leaving workers vulnerable to technological risks.