On a day of national strike action by performers and behind the scenes arts workers in France, a last-ditch meeting is being held to try to resolve a conflict over unemployment benefits

The dispute, over planned changes to the current system, has put in jeopardy the country's popular summer season of festivals This despite the government's offer to delay the introduction of the new measures The opening ceremony of Avignon's prestigious international arts festival has been cancelled, but the question of whether the arts workers will continue to strike or not is still keeping many in suspense, including some of the visiting performers. Some groups are more militant, like Belgian company, Arsenic. They fought for years to have the right to social security benefits and are firmly behind their French counterparts. Company leader, Axel de Boosere, said "When a sector rises up together like this, it's because there's a big problem so we have complete solidarity."French performers, technicians and art workers enjoy a privileged and unique status within Europe. At the moment, they have to work a minimum 507 hours each year to gain full benefits over 12 months. But under the government's proposals they will have to work the same hours over a 10 or 10.5 months period and will only be entitled to benefits during eight months. Elsewhere, performing arts and behind the scenes professionals must work between 78 and 180 days a year to earn unemployment payments. Only the Netherlands differs. It guarantees a minimum income over four years for those who earn 556 euros a month. The French government says the changes it wants to introduce will stop gross abuse of the system. Cameraman, Thierry Gautier, agrees that fraudulent practice is widespread. "A production company told me I could work for them for a month but only be paid for ten days. The rest of the time, they said I could claim state benefits." Despite its climbdown the goverment insists the system will have to change because the cost of benefits has risen to 800 million euros, with contributions only making up an eighth of the total.