Senaste nytt



SVERIGES YRKESMUSIKERFÖRBUND
Box 49144, Stockholm
Tel 08-693 03 30, symf@symf.se
Besöksadress: Alströmergatan 25B






International support for the members of Korean Broadcasting System Symphony orchestra.

Symf as a trade union represents professional musicians in Swedens orchestras and emsembles, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm, the Royal opera orchestra and the National Orchestra of Sweden in Gothenburg.
We are deeply concerned about the news that the musicians of the Korean Broadcasting System Symphony Orchestra are given a disgraceful and unfair treatment.
The KBSSO has been internationally recognized as a symphony orchestra of high standards. Therefore, their members should be subject of a ”unlimited contracts policy” similar to leading European orchestras, instead of a ”re-auditioning policy” that will destroy the orchestra.
A re-auditioning process of the entire KBSSO was announced last december and is supposed to occur every year. Chief conductor Shin-Ik Hahm, whose competence is subject to much controversy, was appointed agaainst the advice of 93% of the orchestra members. His support of the re-auditioning process, a process that as an example is simply illegal in Germany, shows his lack of understanding and knowledge of a professional orchestra.

There are many reasons for Symf to strongly oppose a re-auditioning policy. These are listed in the recommendations from FIM, the International Federation of Musicians, written in october 2011.
One important reason is that performing an re-audition place the burden upon the musician to prove capability of of performance rather than the employer having to prove that there is a progressively poor performance from the musician. This is not acceptable.

The vast majority of the KBSSO musicians refused to re-audition. They were all subject to immediate disciplinary sanctions, and the chairman of the trade union committe was dismissed. A newly appointed chairman and CEO of of the new foundation to which the KBS have outsorced KBSSO have openly expressed their anti-union feelings:
”artists who take a part in labor union activities cannot move the hart of the audience”(!)

Symf condemns the harassment of KBSSO musicians, which is against core human and labor rights and values. We do hope that the Korean state and the KBS will return to international standards of labor relations and fair treatment, and keep the KBSSO within the KBS with unlimited contracts.

Yours sincerely,

Bo Olsson, president