Künstlersozialkasse to end?/Künstlersozialkasse vor dem Aus?

Für den deutschen Bericht siehe journalismus.compact:

bq. Glaubt man der Grüchteküche im Netz, dann steht die Künstlersozialkasse unmittelbar vor dem aus. In zahlreichen Mailinglisten wird derzeit eine “E-Mail-Lichterkette durch die Republik” organisiert:

bq. Tatsächlich tagt am Montag (22.11.) die Enquete-Kommission Kultur in Deutschland im Berliner Paul-Löbe-Haus über zur Zukunft der Künstlersozialkasse. Eigentlich sollte es sich um eine Anhörung zur “Wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Absicherung für Künstlerinnen und Künstler” handeln. Doch davon ist in der Pressemitteilung der Enquete-Kommissions Vorsitzenden Gitta Connemann, CDU-MdB, nur nebenbei zu lesen. Ganz offen wird dort die Frage gestellt wird, ob die KSK überhaupt erhalten bleiben soll.

Some freelance translators who work mainly for publishers and therefore at a pittance, and also journalists, singers, artists and others, pay their social and health insurance to an institution called the Künstlersozialkasse (Artists’ Social Insurance). It sounds as if this arrangement may be ended tomorrow. I’m posting because I’m sure some people reading this site are affected.

Expatica gives a report by Nick Woods, a freelance journalist who moved to Germany, dated November 2004:

bq. For social security you must join the ‘Künstlersozialkasse’ (KSK) – www.kuenstlersozialkasse.de.A form can be accessed on the net.
bq. A special perk for freelancers working in media and the arts is that half these costs are paid by organisations who use my work (30 percent) and the State (20 percent).
The remaining half is my responsibility. I declare my anticipated earnings to the KSK when I register and for each forthcoming year.
A bill is sent out in due course while the KSK should be notified of any differences in target in actual earnings.
The agency collects money from the media organisations separately by levying a percentage charge – 5.8 percent in 2005 – based on each outlet’s annual payment to freelancers. Other self-employed people and entrepreneurs are liable for the total cost of their social security bill.

(Thanks to Christiane on the pt list at Yahoogroups)

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