⚠️ Croatia | Scandalously low salaries at the HRT Orchestra (SOHRT)
Photo © Jasenko Rasol
This shocking situation resounds beyond the borders of Croatia: the wages of the musicians of the Croatian Radio Symphony Orchestra (SOHRT) are entirely out of step with their level of qualification, the artistic demands of their mission and the very high technicality required for the jobs concerned.
Musicians are clearly marginalized in the salary scale of Croatian Radio (HRT) staff. While the orchestra’s soloists are recruited via hyper-selective international auditions, they are paid at the level of a young, inexperienced journalist.
The comparison with the closest orchestra in terms of reputation and excellence – the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra – is clear: a SOHRT tutti player earns 40% less than their Philharmonic counterpart. […]
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Senegal | First collective agreement in the music sector!
We are particularly delighted to announce the signing of the first collective working agreement between Senegal’s Association des Métiers de la Musique (AMS, FIM member) and Le Phare des Mamelles establishment in Dakar on 19 January 2024.
This agreement is the fruit of several years of discussion between the AMS and a handful of establishments employing musicians on a regular basis. An iconic venue in Dakar, Le Phare is the first establishment to have taken the plunge since the 2020 Act instituted the presumption of salaried status for artists and technicians in the performance sector.
This collective agreement marks an important step for working relations in the music sector. […]
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75th anniversary of the International Music Council
FIM congratulates the International Music Council (IMC) on its 75th anniversary!
Founded in 1949, the IMC campaigns tirelessly for universal access to music through five “music rights”:
The right for all children and adults:
— To freely express themselves musically;
— To learn musical languages and skills; and
— To have access to musical involvement through participation, listening, creation and information.
The right for all musical artists:
— To develop their artistry and communicate it through all media, with proper facilities at their disposal; and
— To obtain just recognition and fair remuneration for their work.
FIM thanks the IMC and its team for their remarkable efforts to promote musical practice and respect for the creative work of music professionals. […]
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CLIP: Creators Learn Intellectual Property
Creators around the world are producing music, art and other content at record levels, and digital distribution is soaring. But creators often lack critical information for managing their IP rights. This is why WIPO for Creators created CLIP, in partnership with the Music Rights Awareness Foundation (co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus, Max Martin and Niclas Molinder).
The official launch of CLIP took place at WIPO HQ in Geneva on 17 November 2023, in presence of WIPO Director General Daren Tang and ABBA superstar Björn Ulvaeus.
The initial release of CLIP focuses on the music industry. This innovative online platform aims to provide users from around the world with insights into the music industry’s ecosystem, the various individuals involved in bringing a song to market, and the complexities of music creator rights and their management. […]
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⚠️ Canada tightens its regulations on ivory
The Government of Canada has announced the entry into force, as of 8 January 2024, of stricter measures for anyone entering Canada with a musical instrument containing ivory.
According to the information provided on this page, a Canadian CITES certificate will be required, including when an MIC has already been issued by another CITES Member State.
Romania | Self-employed workers victims of anti-union law
How far will Romania go with its anti-union policy? The question is asked as the Romanian Parliament has just adopted, on November 16, 2023, a law reserving for associations (not unions) the right to conclude collective agreements for self-employed workers.
Until 2022, the law did not allow independent workers to be represented collectively to defend their professional interests. Faced with pressure exerted in particular by the European Commission, the Romanian government was forced to reverse this clear violation of the right to freedom of association.
This same government then rushed to issue an order specifying the nature of the organisations engaged in social dialogue on behalf of the self-employed. […]
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EU | Towards a directive on the working conditions of artists
On November 21, 2023, the European Parliament adopted by a comfortable majority of 433 votes to 100 and 99 abstentions, the legislative initiative report for an EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors presented by MEPs Antonius Manders (EPP, Netherlands) and Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D, Spain).
In the past, the European Parliament has often lamented the precarious social conditions of European artists and the lack of adequate social protection, particularly for professionals with high mobility. For the first time in its history, it has just asked the European Commission to create a binding legislative framework in order to improve the working conditions of artists and other professionals in the cultural and creative sectors. […]
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An analysis of orchestral workers’ challenges, by Heather Kurzbauer
Employment and Vulnerabilities in the World of Orchestral Musicians is a profoundly knowledgeable and provocative book penned by a versatile scholar who combines the roles of law professor, music journalist, and orchestral violinist. It presents the first major legal study to focus on labor relations and the institutional dynamics at play within orchestras.
The state subsidies and philanthropy that traditionally allowed orchestras to flourish have greatly diminished due to recent financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic. As in other fields affected by the precarious labor arrangements prevalent in the world of work today, the employees and freelancers — in this case, the musicians themselves — suffer the most. […]
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