Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1285707,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1285707/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 129,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Crystal Asige",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I appreciate your Office and that of the Clerk of the Senate for your swift action. I rise, pursuant to Standing Order 52 (1), to make a Statement on a matter of general topical concern, namely; the judgment of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Civil Appeal No.E130 of 2022, which required the Registrar of Trade Unions to register the Kenyan Musicians’ Union. The right to unionize is a fundamental human right. Article 23(4) of the Universal Human Rights Declaration states that- ‘everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests’. This right is also recognized under the Article 41 of the Constitution, which grants every worker the right to form, join or participate in the activities and programmes of a trade union. The importance of trade unions is well established in our country. Historically, they have been the vehicles through which workers have communicated their needs, championed for rights, such as leave and pension benefits, agitated for better pay and generally improved their working conditions. These are huge undertakings that are difficult to attain at an individual level, but together, workers from different industries have been able to channel their voices through Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and achieve more humane and respectable conditions. Musicians are workers whose tools are their voices, instruments and sheer talent. It is of great concern that in our country, where music brings us together and marks every major occasion of life, musicians lack a union through which they can better organize themselves to earn a respectable living from their work. The success of unions is evidenced by the success enjoyed in jurisdictions such as the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and France, where various musicians’ trade unions have successfully set industry minimum standard rates, established codes of conduct for matters such as harassment and discrimination and facilitated benefits such as health insurance and legal representation for their members. These unions are also at the forefront of current developments affecting musicians. For example, in the UK, the Musicians’ Union is currently coordinating efforts to help musicians understand the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright law. It goes without saying, therefore, that a union for musicians would be a valuable tool for our enterprising musicians in the current digital age. In 2021, a World Bank report valued Kenya’s music industry at over Kshs320 million. Despite this massive potential, incredibly talented young people in this country have unfortunately fallen far behind their peers in other countries, both in Africa and beyond, partly because we have failed to create a conducive environment for local talent to make a sustainable trade out of their work through active and reliable unions. As we are all aware, musicians in our country have long been among the most underrepresented groups. Despite our music's significant success and attention, our The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}