Small Museums proposes a single national fee schedule for museum professionals

A nationally unified fee schedule for museum professionals. This is the proposal of the president of the Association of Small Museums, Giancarlo Dall’Ara, who has intervened on the issue of free contracts for museum directorships: the reference is to the case of Deruta, where a few days ago a call for bids was issued for the new director of the Regional Museum of Ceramics and the Municipal Art Gallery, which the municipality, however, wants to confer for free, despite the fact that the figure is required to have high skills and despite the fact that he will have delicate tasks. The association in recent days also launched a petition addressed to President Sergio Mattarella to demand fair pay for professionals working in museums.

Dall’Ara reiterates that he strongly opposes “a custom that debases the work of museum professionals and deprives them of fundamental constitutional rights,” and recalls what is the legal framework that regulates these situations. Specifically, most scientific director positions in civic and regional museums that are offered free of charge or provide only reimbursement are based on Article 2229 et seq. of the Civil Code. Article 2233 states that “compensation, if it is not agreed upon by the parties and cannot be determined according to tariffs or custom, shall be determined by the judge (after hearing the opinion of the professional association to which the professional belongs),” but also adds that “in any case, the measure of compensation shall be appropriate to the importance of the work and the decorum of the profession.”

“Too often, however,” Dall’Ara points out, “this form of contract results in the exploitation of museum professionals, without well-defined rules and controls. Moreover, not all museum professionals fall within the scope of specific professional associations, as stipulated in Art. 2231 of the Civil Code and as mentioned in the aforementioned Art. 2233 regarding the determination of compensation by the judge; therefore, it is clear that the current legislation does not seem to take into consideration all the professional categories that are affected by intellectual work contracts, leaving some cases undefined and thus allowing the sometimes arbitrary and subjective application of such contracts.”

Dall’Ara therefore proposes to establish an unambiguous nationwide fee schedule for the category of museum professionals so that cases like that of Deruta and many other Italian municipalities are not repeated. “The question arises as to why for the museum professions there has never been a definition of a fee schedule so far, for example, using models that also already exist in other areas,” Dall’Ara points out. “It is also pointed out that the director, especially in the context of small museums, takes on a character of particular complexity because often, unlike large museums that have more articulated staffs, he or she is the only figure who guarantees the fulfillment of the many functions required by any museum organization, regardless of size or individual specificities.”

For this reason, the president continues, “it is even more incumbent to defend the directors of small museums, especially those located in municipalities with lower populations, which are usually the very ones that resort to free professional service contracts.” In conclusion, the National Association of Small Museums asks those with political and union responsibilities to intervene so that “all museum professionals see their professionalism and scientific and cultural role recognized, which is always strategic and decisive in supporting economic and social development, especially of small communities local communities; a single national fee schedule be defined that principals are obliged by law to apply to all contracts involving the museum professions; and that small municipalities that own museum facilities be able to take advantage of specific financial aid aimed at ensuring that museum professionals are fairly paid and covered by social security contributions.”

Image: Municipal Art Gallery of Deruta

Small Museums proposes a single national fee schedule for museum professionals

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