Artistic work intermediaries as industrial relations institutions: The case of musicians

Abstract

In artistic and cultural work, where unions and formal industrial relations institutions have weak influence, market intermediaries often shape the terms of exchange for workers. Focusing on musicians and drawing mainly on examples from France, this article shows how these intermediaries shape employment relations, in particular the distribution of risks and surpluses. While intermediaries and musicians have many shared interests, there is also a structural antagonism between them, which could be exacerbated by digitalization.

Power resources and the battle against precarious employment: Trade union activities within a tripartite initiative tackling undeclared work in Sweden

“…Work of musicians is characterised by non-standard employment that is highly mobile and has multiple employers (Lizé et al, 2022). Much of it is precarious (Greer et al, 2018) and individuals depend on their social capital to find work and make a career (Lizé et al, 2022). One thing that sets it apart from the other sectors in this study is that it is less characterised by migrant labour.…”

“…We also suggest a low level of institutional power resources due to the multitude of employers and weak or non-existing unions, making them a difficult fit in the national systems of labour law and collective agreements (Lizé et al, 2022). Their multi-employer reality and geographical mobility, similar to construction and forestry workers, further aggravate the difficult fit of industrial relations and labour law, as the notions ‘employer’ and ‘workplace’ become blurred.…”

“…A low level of structural power resources was similarly demonstrated due to the tough competition (more among musicians than stagehands) and detrimental consequences of digitalisation in the recorded music industry on income generation, making live music more important for livelihoods (Lizé et al, 2022). At the same time, many musicians have entered the field precisely because they wish to get away from formal rules and bureaucracy (Umney, 2016), and should therefore be considered as exit-driven undeclared workers.…”

Labour market collectivism: New solidarities of highly skilled freelance workers in medicine, IT and the film industry

“…Labour market intermediaries can not only shape cross-border labour mobility (Shire et al, 2018), but also perform different functions in sectoral labour markets, such as dealing with incomplete and asymmetric information, facilitating collective action and providing support in situations of legal uncertainty for freelance workers (Autor, 2009; Koene and Pichault, 2021; Lorquet et al, 2018). More specifically, staffing agencies can be important in mediating workers’ social relations and in dealing with careers or negotiation processes (Barley and Kunda, 2004; Bielby and Bielby, 1999; Bonet et al, 2013; Lizé et al, 2022; Windeler and Wirth, 2004). This research includes labour market intermediaries such as temporary help and staffing agencies, trade unions and cooperatives.…”