The Swiss Musicians’ Union (SMV-USDAM) has published a new SMV-USDAM tariff traffic light map, which shows the remuneration situation of freelance professional musicians, particularly in professional part-time/project orchestras in Switzerland. The aim is to make the often inadequate pay of extras/substitutes transparent.
The diversity of the Swiss orchestra landscape is impressive: in addition to 13 full-time professional orchestras, there are numerous professional part-time and project orchestras, which are important employers for many freelance professional musicians in Switzerland and would not exist without them. While permanent orchestra members are protected by collective labour agreements, there is a worrying trend towards increasingly poor employment conditions for freelance musicians.
SMV-USDAM is receiving an increasing number of reports of dumping fees – not least in cities with a high cost of living and in orchestras that are supported by lottery funds or prominent sponsors. Fees of CHF 125 for a three-hour rehearsal or CHF 150 for a concert, each including individual preparation work, without expense allowances and mandatory holiday pay, are not uncommon; this contradicts any appreciation of highly qualified professional musicians, who generally have a university degree.
With the SMV-USDAM tariff traffic light map, orchestras are now publicly classified according to their compliance with tariffs:
- Full-time professional orchestras: green for 100% compliance with the collective agreement with SMV-USDAM, otherwise red (symbol: filled circle)
- Professional part-time/project orchestras: green for 100% compliance with the SMV-USDAM tariff scales, orange between 75–99%, red below 75% (symbol: filled diamond)
A + in the symbol means that additional benefits such as continued payment of wages in the event of illness are provided.
The publication is based on the Federal Government’s 2025–2028 Culture Message, which sets appropriate remuneration for cultural workers as a key objective, and the recommendations of the National Culture Dialogue to strengthen the professionalisation and recognition of this work.
SMV-USDAM tariff traffic light cmap: https://smv.ch/en/services/calculator/rates/smv-tarifampel/
Further information on collective agreements and tariff regulations: https://smv.ch/en/services/calculator/