Basel music diversity initiative: the SMV supports the NO campaign
The Central Board of the Swiss Musicians' Association (SMV) considers the demands of the Basel Music Diversity Initiative to be counterproductive.
The SMV naturally supports the call for more musical diversity and improved support for the independent music scene, especially if this would lead to musicians being paid fair, living wages, which is unfortunately by no means the case throughout Switzerland today.
However, we consider the approach of the Music Diversity Initiative to give the independent scene in Basel 30% of the total subsidies for the music sector without being aware of the consequences for the permanent and often also freelance employees of the institutions in the event of a corresponding reduction in their subsidies to be counterproductive.
Basel's orchestras, which are unique in Switzerland in terms of their diversity, currently employ a large number of freelance musicians; these will be the first victims of reduced funding. As a result, staff reductions will also be required for permanent musicians.
How would we as a musicians' union react to such developments? And these would be highly likely, as there has so far been no commitment from politicians to the necessary increase in overall subsidies for music. Such an increase would also be problematic from a trade union perspective if it only benefited one cultural sector (music) and not the others.
The Central Board of the Swiss Musicians' Association (SMV) has therefore decided to support the NO campaign against the initiative, not only to protect the jobs of our CLA orchestra SOB, but also the diverse commitments of our freelance members as newcomers in this orchestra and as permanent or freelance members in all the other Basel orchestras (Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta, La Cetra, etc.). We have arrived at this position precisely because the SMV is the trade union not only for permanent employees but also for freelance professional musicians in Switzerland. The canton of Basel-Stadt is in a good financial position and MIGHT be able to cushion the impact of the initiative if it is adopted, but other cantons in Switzerland would not be able to do so if they followed this example.
