Orchestra Musicians threaten strike at the philharmonic

The field of culture is not exempt from labor conflicts. In the last three years, these conflicts have intensified. The National Trade Union Block - Sibiu County Branch and the Union of Instrumental Artists of the Sibiu State Philharmonic (SAIFS) have notified the employer and the Sibiu Territorial Labor Inspectorate regarding the initiation of a collective labor dispute. Through this action, the musicians from Sibiu aim to draw the attention of decision-makers and the public to the failure to reach an agreement for the conclusion of a collective labor contract at the level of the Sibiu State Philharmonic. According to the union members: "Considering that in almost 4 months within the negotiation procedure, only 14 articles (of a general, introductory nature) have been analyzed, our hopes of signing a collective labor contract are now turning towards the conciliation procedure provided by the law of social dialogue, as a mandatory stage in the collective labor dispute, preceding the warning strike." During the negotiation procedure, from May 19, 2023, to September 8, 2023, the Union of Instrumental Artists of the Sibiu State Philharmonic presented its demands in the form of a complete draft collective labor contract, a project that includes 110 articles and 10 annexes. However, until the expiration of the allocated deadline for collective bargaining, the employer only analyzed a total of 14 articles: "The negotiation sessions lasted on average only 40 minutes, even though a complete collective labor contract had to be negotiated and drafted, one that would establish the rights and obligations of employees, the way employment relations are conducted, as well as aspects that have created litigious situations within the Sibiu State Philharmonic over time. Although the employer, during the negotiation process, committed three times to provide a viewpoint on the draft collective labor contract, until the expiration of the deadline allocated for collective bargaining, namely September 8, 2023, these commitments were not honored." They warn that "if the negotiation of the collective labor contract represents a materialization of real, effective, and efficient social dialogue, the strike - an essential element of a democratic society - serves as an alarm signal when dialogue is absent or, even though it exists, is not effective and thus inefficient! Good faith and respect for dialogue must govern labor relations in a democratic society. We hope that the employer's representatives will now, in the 11th hour, analyze the draft collective labor contract, and that within the procedures described by the law of social dialogue, we will be able to reach a consensus to avoid possible social tensions resulting from the initiation of the warning strike. Effective social dialogue leads to the creation of a climate of social peace in which labor relations between employees and employers are regulated and harmonized, having beneficial effects for both parties involved and even for society." The tone sets the music, but negotiating a contract can be more challenging.