Founded 17 May 2018, TUMSA – Trade Union for Musicians of South Africa – established its National Head Office in Cape Town, South Africa. We regard ourselves as an authentic and representative Trade Union and strive to uphold its main objectives, which are also included in our Constitution. These 16 Objectives are:
1) To provide a secure National structure for all who are (a) Self-employed (b) regularly (c) directly (d) dependent on (e) Music for an (f) Income.
2) To demand full recognition as a legitimate Trade Union and ensuring that South African Labour Law accommodates the rights of Musicians and other Music Industry Professionals as Workers, similarly to the way in which all other Trade Unions are recognised.
3) Recognising South African Musicians as specialist Workers with skills vital to the SA Cultural Economy, making their Careers within this Creative Economic Sector of South Africa and to work diligently to ensure that the Control and Majority Ownership of the South African Music Industry and Music Economy is first transferred to- and thereafter remains in the hands of Independent Music Professionals who are South African Citizens or with permanent residence / work permit status and practicing their Music craft in South Africa.
4) Recognize and acknowledge our South African Culture – and specifically our Music – as a unique and valuable contributor to the Economy (GDP – Gross Domestic Product), a diverse collective of sub- cultures, united by the lessons from our History, present circumstances and legitimate future aspirations.
5) To accept our responsibility as Co-Guardians of our Collective South African Culture, in ensuring that our People’s Music is preserved in its History, developed in its Present and guided in its Future to ensure that future generations will still continue to maintain their love and patronage of those unique elements that define us as South Africans, including all forms of Art, Entertainment and Languages.
6) To embrace Technologies and all contemporary methods that can advance the cause and well- being of our Members.
7) Assisting our Members in every possible way through Education and Training Structures, Collective bargaining, Advocacy, Communications, Negotiations, Mass Actions or whatever other methods or interventions, to facilitate secure access to State-, Economic-, Providence-, Legal-, Medical-, as well as within the scope of their Careers as Musicians.
8) Assisting or intervening on behalf of our Members in dispute resolutions between our Members and other Members, Institutions, Industry Bodies, State Structures, Corporates or Individuals.
9) Actively and vigilantly working to secure a Regulated Live Performance-, Recording Session- and Broadcast environment, as well as a Minimum Fee Structure appropriate to services rendered so as to ensure that our Members’ Rights are protected and that they can earn appropriate Royalties, Session fees and Needletime for Compositions, Performances and other relevant activities.
10) Seeking good working relationships with Collecting Societies but also to bring pressure to bear on them in instances if and where they may stray outside the specific mandate of their Members or their Constitution.
11) To operate as an Independent Organisation, under principles of good governance and administration, free of discrimination, corruption, nepotism, personal agendas or other practices that may jeopardise the overall interests of all our Members.
12) Identifying and pursuing opportunities for co-operation and forming alliances with other like- minded and culture-relevant Organisations, groupings or individuals, both Regionally, Nationally and Internationally to further the cause of Musicians and Cultural Workers in our Country and around the World.
13) To resist and guard against Economic or Cultural domination by any other Country, or force of whatever kind or direction.
14) To be governed and guided by the democratic and legitimate will of our collective Membership in order to Trade, Accumulate Assets, operate a Bank Account or function in whatever reasonable way to carry out the mandate and objectives of the Organisation.
15) We are also aware that Commercial- and Retail Advertising speaks to the Cultural hearts and souls of Media Consumers. For that reason we will bring pressure to bear on- and work with the Advertising Sector to become more South Afrocentric in their style and delivery, as well as to be more inclusive of South African Music and other Culturally-driven Creative content.
16) To identify with the circumstances of other Workers and Workers Unions, Nationally and Globally, to show our solidarity with their struggles and to support them in such, where and how appropriate.