Delegates' meeting in excursion weather
The fact that the SMV delegates' meeting only lasted one hour is not a sign that there are no problems, but rather that the Swiss Musicians' Union is a well-run association whose annual reports and budgets did not need to be discussed.
This year's SMV delegates' meeting took place in the time-honored "Schweizerhof" hotel in Lucerne in beautiful summer weather. Geneva Co-President Muriel Noble welcomed the delegates and several guests. The Co-President of the Lucerne section, Iwan Jenny, briefly recalled the extraordinary history of the hotel, which opened in 1845 and is still owned by the Lucerne family, and where many important personalities such as Richard Wagner have come and gone. A significant event in the hotel's history was the peace negotiations after the Sonderbund War, the last war on Swiss soil. Jenny sees the fact that the Lucerne hotel has overcome all crises as a symbol of an optimistic view of the future. In Lucerne, the future, not uncontroversial theater renovation is currently the dominant cultural topic of the day.
Gabriela Medici, Central Secretary of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions, noted in her welcome address that - still very topical shortly after the feminist strike - a good education does not necessarily lead to a good salary for women. However, she said that bourgeois politicians will work on certain issues such as maternity protection, even though they have distanced themselves from the feminist strike. Medici recalled that "more work for less money" is unfortunately favored in parliament, even though real wages have fallen for three years in a row. Pensioners are particularly at risk, as the 2nd pillar does not cover inflation and a lot of purchasing power is lost as a result. She noted that the pension funds are doing well, but not the pensioners. She has high hopes for the next three referendums on pension issues, e.g. on a 13th AHV monthly pension. The feminist strike on June 14 was also a ray of hope for Medici.
After a minute's silence for the deceased members, the minutes of the 2022 DM, the activity reports of the sections, the FIM and the SMV accounts were approved. The Audit Committee gave the SMV's administration an excellent report, and discharge was granted to the Central Committee and the Central Secretary. The 2023 budget was also unanimously approved. The transfer of the death fund to the SMV Foundation and the revision of the expenses regulations were also accepted.
Co-President Davide Jäger reported on the Presidents' Conference, which, among other things, approved a revision of the tariff regulations that stipulates the remuneration of short assignments such as church services or funerals, which were not previously covered. The section fees for freelancers were harmonized, which previously complicated registration for new SMV members. A possible merger with Sonart has not yet been conclusively discussed. An extraordinary conference on this topic is planned.
The delegates were able to use the early end of the meeting for further welcome informal discussions among the members of the various sections.
The minutes of this DM will be published on the SMV website and can also be viewed at the Central Secretariat.
