New union for musicians in Ireland

national | miscellaneous | news report

Monday March 03, 2003 17:02

by SIPTU

New union for musicians in Ireland

New union for musicians in Ireland
http://www.siptu.ie/news/article.php?id=768

- 22 January 2003

SIPTU has established a new representative body to cater exclusively for musicians in Ireland. To be known as the Musicians' Union of Ireland (MUI), the new body will recruit and represent every kind of musician.

SIPTU's long standing members in the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra and the Vanburgh Quartet are already enrolled in the Musicians' Union of Ireland, along with freelance orchestral players who perform in both orchestras.

As well as continuing to represent classical instrumentalists, the new union will recruit professional freelance musicians of every genre, including contemporary, jazz, pop, rock and traditional.

Commenting on the formation of the new union, MUI Secretary, John Swift, said "this long overdue development has been welcomed enthusiastically by musicians. For too long, musicians have been divided and exploited. By uniting in this new venture, which has the full resources of SIPTU at its disposal, musicians will become a significant force with considerable influence with employers and other agencies."

The inaugural meeting of the Musicians' Union of Ireland will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2003, in Dublin.

SIPTU
Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, Ireland
tel: 01 874 9731 - fax: 01 874 8642
e-mail info@siptu.ie - url www.siptu.ie

Comments (2 of 2)

I hope you do better than the

by ipsiphi

Mon Mar 03, 2003 21:08

past Liberty Hall efforts at "composers union" and the like! really generating enough money "pasta" as its known where i live to give two or three people a job in the "trade union" sector isn´t really something worth applauding.
Musicians smell anyway.
I mean have you ever thought, "if only the musicians would get themselves together and organise a general strike"?
have you?
no. But if musicians did come together and agree a common policy on direct action, non violence and distribution rights.
a ha! he gets a serious point in the post evicition pissed off ramble.....

ok
Music union of SIPTU!
whats your policy on copyright/reproduction issues?
and whats your recommended basic rate for piano teaching?
and how the hell can the budget of the Contemporary music centre of Ireland be justified?

A little out of date...

by MG

Tue Mar 04, 2003 10:51

This story was covered widely in the mainstream media when it was announced more than a month ago. As an indymedia user, I would prefer it if careerist fat cats like the SIPTU leadership didn't publish out-of-date press releases on this site.