Bogota | FIM Latin America Regional Workshop

Published on January 2, 2019 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Gender equality, International trade union co-operation, Latin America, Status of the artist, Working relationship

The Declaration on Gender Equity in Musicians’ Unions, drafted by women union leaders on 1st November 2018 in Montevideo, was unanimously adopted by Latin American union leaders in Bogota.

By Ananay Aguilar

On 27–29 November 2018, FIM held a regional workshop in Bogota in the framework of a project funded by Swedish organisation Union To Union, with support from the Swedish Musicians’ Union SMF. The event brought together representatives from Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.

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Malawi | Cooperation between MUM and SMF is following its course

Published on December 10, 2018 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Africa, International trade union co-operation, Labour rights

For some fifteen years now, Swedish union SMF has been developing a union training course for its Malawi counterpart, MUM.

FIM, the Swedish Musicians’ Union (SMF) and the Musicians’ Union of Malawi (MUM) organised a union training workshop in Lilongwe from 23 to 25 October 2018, with financial backing from Swedish confederation Union to Union.

Two issues were addressed at the same time:
1. Union organisation and operation. This part was run by representatives from SMF, the General Secretary of the Zimbabwean union ZIMU and a representative from union confederation MCTU, a partner of MUM.

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Europe | Unionizing so-called “atypical” workers

Published on December 10, 2018 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Europe, Fundamental rights, Labour rights, Precarious work, Working relationship

Forum on unionization of atypical workers in the media and entertainment sectors (Rotterdam, 30–31 October 2018)

On 30 and 31 October 2018 in Rotterdam, FIM, FIA, UNI-MEI and EFJ held a forum devoted to unionization of so-called “atypical” workers attended by some fifty union representatives from Europe. The term “atypical” is today in current use and refers to the working relationship of professionals who, in our trades, are generally called “freelance”. The precariousness which characterizes these forms of work results in particular from European rules in the field of competition law.

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Kenya | The government must recognize KeMU as a union!

Published on September 17, 2018 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Africa, International trade union co-operation

The political crisis in the wake of the 2017 elections in Kenya has created considerable difficulties for professional musicians whose engagements have seriously diminished, but also for national union KeMU, whose activities and projects have been significantly disrupted.

It was against this backdrop that, along with SMF and KeMU, FIM organised a national workshop in Nairobi (4–6 September 2018) within the scope of a union training programme backed by Union to Union. The workshop focused on developing and organising the union as well as on gender equality.

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Ivory Coast | SAMCI continues structuring

Published on September 17, 2018 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Africa, Gender equality, Intellectual property, International trade union co-operation

FIM and the Musicians’ Union of the Ivory Coast (SAMCI) organised a national training workshop in Abidjan, from 16–19 July 2018, as part of its regional training programme backed by Union to Union. The workshop benefitted from a partnership with regional organisation Arterial Network, whose headquarters are in Abidjan.

The workshop focused on two issues:
1. the union’s internal organisation;
2. gender equality.

Since July 2017, SAMCI has been officially recognized as a professional union, has become a FIM member and held empowerment meetings for various communities of musicians, mainly in the Abidjan region.

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The European Parliament adopts the copyright directive

Published on September 14, 2018 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Europe, Intellectual property

On Wednesday 12 September 2018, the European Parliament adopted the proposed directive on copyright in the digital single market. It also gave mandate to the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) to enter into inter-institutional negotiations with the Commission and the Council (trialogue).

This result is a genuine success for performers, achieved after considerable efforts and against a globally hostile backdrop. In reality, the European Commission’s initial proposal fell way short of our expectations, entirely leaving to one side, for example, the central issue of artists’ remuneration where streaming was concerned.

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Europe | Atypical work in the arts, entertainment and media sector

Published on September 14, 2016 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Atypical work, Europe

On 8 and 9 September 2016, the final conference took place in Brussels of the joint FIM, FIA, UNI-MEI and EFJ project focusing on the future of work and atypical working in the arts, entertainment and media sector. It was held in the European Parliament and the premises of the European Economic and Social Committee.

Besides representatives from the four organising federations, the conference welcomed European and national parliamentarians, representatives of the European Commission, the International Labour Office (ILO) and the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) as well as jurists specialized in social law.

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OiRA tools for the Live Performance sector

Published on March 30, 2016 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Europe

Workplaces in the live performance sector are challenged by very diverse health and safety risks. These stem from a broad range of activities such as stage performances, chemical substances used in special effects, the presence of an audience and environmental aspects such as lighting and temperature.

Specific risk assessment strategies are vital to prevent accidents and ill-health in the sector. The OiRA tools are developed to support small enterprises in better dealing with these challenges.

The EU social partners from the Live Performance sector : the European Arts and Entertainment Alliance (EAEA, composed of FIM, FIA and UNI MEI) and Pearle* have released a video on their Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) tools.

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ILO | Meeting of Experts makes progress on precarious work

Published on March 28, 2015 by iaea – Comments off

Filed under: Atypical work, ILO

IAEA was represented by its President, John Smith, at an ILO tripartite Meeting of Experts on non-standard forms of employment. Conclusions agree to strengthen the ILO’s responses to precarious work.

After the Global Dialogue Forum on the working relationship in the Media and Culture sector held at the ILO headquarters in May 2014, a Committee of Experts representing employers, governments and workers met in Geneva on 16-19 February 2015 to debate how the ILO should respond to the threats to workers’ rights brought about by the expansion of precarious work.

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