Book translation in Spain A precarious industry
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Abstract
Book translation in Spain has traditionally been marked by high levels of job insecurity. In recent years, however, this insecurity has intensified, leading many established and experienced professionals to leave the sector to work in other markets. Taking this situation as a starting point, this paper aims to study precarious working conditions in this market from the perspective of translation studies. For this purpose, open access governmental data from the Spanish Ministry of Culture was used. The analysis of the data confirms the severe levels of precarity faced by the translators working in the sector and underscores the need for measures to mitigate this issue, to ensure the future sustainability of the activity. Additionally, the information gathered from this study may serve as a foundation for improving the conditions of professionals, and might be used to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement aimed to regulate the conditions of the activity. Until recently, the Spanish regulatory framework excluded self-employed workers from such labor protection mechanisms. However, this may now be a viable option due to a recent legislative initiative by the European Commission.
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