The International Federation of Musicians (, FIM) is a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing music performers. FIM counts member unions in 70 countries and three regional groups in Europe, Africa and Latin America. It is a member of the Council of Global Unions.
History The International Federation of Musicians (FIM) was established on August 3,1948, during a conference in Zürich, which had been organized on the initiative of the Swiss Musicians' Union. The conference brought together key figures in the music industry to address musician's rights and the need for international cooperation in protecting these rights. From 1951, it held meetings with the members of the Berne Convention, the International Labour Organization, the IFPI, and the European Broadcasting Union, to negotiate the copyright rights of musicians, establish a strong network among musicians' unions and setting the foundation for its future objectives.
For many years, the secretariat was independent of both the main international federations of trade unions, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Federation of Trade Unions, and as such, by the 1980s, it represented both unions in capitalist countries, and in communist countries such as Cuba.
In 1997, the organization affiliated to the International Arts and Entertainment Alliance. The secretariat is currently based in Paris, France.
Objectives The International Federation of Musicians' main objective is to safeguard and advance the creative, economic, and social rights of musicians as represented by its member unions. This leads to activities such as:
Development of the worldwide organization of musicians International cooperation is advanced by the federation of music unions worldwide Supporting legislative and other actions that provide protection on a national and international level on behalf of musicians Reaching agreements with other international organizations for the benefit of the profession and member unions Acquiring and compiling statistical data and additional information on the music industry, then supplying member unions with this data Supporting member unions materially and morally in the interests of the profession and in line with FIM's goals
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Labor Office (ILO), and UNESCO are among the organizations with whom FIM collaborates with closely. Other initiatives include the holding of international congresses and conferences, the advancement of all efforts to make music the common property of all people, and the upkeep of ongoing relationships with other international organizations that could be of service to FIM.
Affiliated Unions The following unions were affiliated in March 2022:
Union Abbreviation Country American Federation of Musicians AFM Canada & United States Argentinian Society of Musicians SADEM Argentina Association of Music Professionals of Senegal AMS Senegal Association of Uruguayan Musicians AUDEM Uruguay Communication Workers' Union SLC Italy Creo Creo Norway Croatian Musicians' Union HGU Croatia Danish Musicians' Union DMF Denmark Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia SVIZ Slovenia Entertainers of Jamaica Association EJA Jamaica Federation of Citizens' Services FSC Spain Federation of Culture and Media FAIR-MediaSind Romania Federation of Dutch Trade Unions FNV Netherlands Federation of Uruguayan Musicians FEDEM Uruguay Finnish Musicians' Union SML Finland General Union of Public Services ACOD Belgium German Orchestra Union DOV Germany Hungarian Musicians’ and Dancers’ Union MZTSZ Hungary Icelandic Musicians' Union FIH Iceland Iranian Musicians' Union IMU Iran Israeli Musicians' Union IMU Israel Kenya Musicians' Union KEMU Kenya Latvian Trade Union Federation for People Engaged in Cultural Activities LKDAF Latvia Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance MEAA Australia Musicians' Federation of India MFI India Musicians' Union MU United Kingdom Musicians' Union of Ireland MUI Ireland Musicians' Union of Japan MUJ Japan Musicians' Union of Liberia MULIB Liberia Musicians' Union of Malawi MUM Malawi Musicians' Union of the Gambia MUSIGAM Gambia Musicians' Union of the Ivory Coast SAMCI Cote d'Ivoire Musicians' Union of the State of Rio de Janeiro SINDMUSI Brazil National Association of Public and Private Employees ANEP Costa Rica National Union of Music Workers SITMUCH Chile Ormúsica Ormúsica Colombia Panhellenic Musician Union PMU Greece Professional Union of Spanish Musicians SPME Spain Serbian Musicians' Union SMU Serbia SO.ME.SOK SO.ME.SOK Cyprus Swedish Musicians' Union FSM Sweden Swiss Musicians' Union SMV-USDAM Switzerland Syndicat national des artistes-musiciens SNAM France SYNEAMAC SYNEAMAC Cameroon Togo Musicians' Union SARIAC Togo Trade Union for the Music Arts Industry TUMAI Zimbabwe Trade Union of Cameroonian Musicians SYCAMU Cameroon Trade Union of Polish Artists and Orchestra Musicians ZZ PAMO Poland Transcom Transcom Belgium Uganda Musicians' Union UMU Uganda Ukrainian Musicians' Union UMU Ukraine UNIA UNIA Slovakia Union Conference of Musicians GLOSA-SKG Slovenia Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers UBMD Bulgaria Union of Musicians, Composers and Singers of Peru SIMCCAP Peru Union of Musicians of Colombia SIMUCOL Colombia Union of Music Workers UTM Costa Rica Union of Workers in Music, Art and Related Industries SITMAS Panama Ver.di Ver.di Germany Younion Younion Austria Zimbabwe Musicians' Union ZIMU Zimbabwe
Leadership General Secretaries 1948: Rudolf Leuzinger 1982: Yvonne Burckhardt 1990s: Jean Vincent 2002-present: Benoît Machuel
Presidents 1948: William Batten 1950: Hardie Ratcliffe 1973: John Morton 2004-present: John F. Smith
External links Official FIM website Official website of the International Orchestra Conference Travelling with a musical instrument in compliance with CITES Official website of the International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA)
References