To Each Freelance Professional Musician
Dear Colleague,
I hereby cordially invite you to join the Musicians' Union of Ireland (MUI) - the representative body for full-time and part-time musicians. Designed to unite in a single organisation all the musicians in Ireland, the MUI caters for every kind of musician, including composers/song-writers, singers, music teachers, music therapists and music students. The MUI will also represent musicians from every genre, whether traditional, rock, pop, jazz, folk, country and western, contemporary or classical.
Formed in January 2003, the MUI is proud to have among its ranks prominent musicians and singers such as Andy Irvine, Noel Kelehan, Dónal Lunny, Johnny McEvoy, Seán Hession and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin as well as members of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet
With the resources of SIPTU at its disposal, the MUI:
- Organises and represents musicians in Ireland
- Provides professional musicians with professional representation
- Challenges the exploitation of musicians by employers and others
- Negotiates rates and conditions of employment
- Issues a regular newsletter called Sound Post to members
- Issues a directory of members - see application form below
- Makes representations to Government and other agencies on behalf of musicians
- Provides financial services and discounts for members
- Provides Scholarships for members
- Organises trade union courses on pensions, health and safety, etc.
- Raises the profile of musicians in Ireland
- Campaigns for musicians' rightful place in Irish Society
The MUI has negotiated significant pay increaes for its freelance members working in Dublin and Cork theatres and with the RTÉ orchestras. The Union also campaigned successfully against the exclusion from Wexford Festival Opera of indigenous musicians.
The MUI is affiliated to the International Federation of Musicians and has also forged links with the British Musicians' Union. The MUI is working closely with SIPTU’s Irish Equity Group and Film and Entertainment Branch.
By joining the MUI, you can contribute to the development of an effective organisation for musicians. This can be done by completing and returning to this office the appropriate membership application forms and the appropriate union dues, which may be paid by cash/cheque, or through a bank direct debit. Click here to download the forms.
Yours fraternally,
Des Courtney,
Organiser
Application for inclusion in MUI's Directory of Musicians (pdf, 882 kb)
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