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MU Signs Agreement with West Midlands Combined Authority to Support Creative Workers

TUC Midlands and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) have come together to sign a partnership deal with creative industries trade unions, securing fair pay and working conditions for creative workers employed through the combined authority.

Published: 10 April 2025 | 11:33 AM Updated: 14 April 2025 | 12:44 PM
An aerial view of Birmingham in the West Midlands.
The new agreement aims to help deliver a thriving creative sector in the West Midlands, underpinned by fair pay and working conditions. Image credit: Shutterstock.

The MU has worked alongside fellow creative unions TUC Midlands Equity, Bectu and Writers’ Guild to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The landmark agreement will seek to build on the region’s cultural and creative strengths, including its young and diverse workforce and secure new jobs, fairer pay, and long-term career opportunities for local people.

Creative workers employed through the combined authority will now receive union rates

The role of the MoU is to ensure that any grant funding awarded by the WMCA carries with it a commitment to incorporate trade union rates and other terms and conditions, and work with trade unions to devise artist contracts.

The West Midlands has also been identified as a ‘priority region’ for the creative industries with the promise of a share of £60 million to add to the existing Commonwealth Legacy funding for cultural projects. 

The agreement establishes a benchmark for standard-setting in the use of trade union rates and terms for creative workers engaged through devolved government funding, which we hope to see replicated across the UK. 

Our goal is a sustainable, thriving creative sector

Stephen Brown, Musician’s Union Midlands Regional Secretary, said: “As unions collectively, we are delighted to have been working with the Combined Authority and Mayor’s Office to agree this MoU for the engagement of creative sector workers in our region.

“The great thing about it is that it not only means public bodies recognising union rates, it sets a wider landscape and benchmark in the West Midlands for the treatment, terms and conditions, and fees for creative sector workers who are predominantly self-employed. It also means there’s a focus on local employment, and it considers equality, diversity and inclusion, as a key component for any projects commissioned through or by the Combined Authority.

“Our goal is a sustainable, thriving creative sector providing good jobs in this region and this MoU will be a key factor in helping to achieve this by excellent utilisation under the terms of the MoU of the Commonwealth Games Legacy money.”

From left to right: MU Midlands Regional Organiser Stephen Brown, Bectu Assistant Secretary Caroline Hemmington, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Equity Midlands Regional Official Ian Manborde, Midlands TUC Policy & Campaigns Officer Rob Johnston. 

The creative industries are a cornerstone of regional economic growth

This agreement has grown out of earlier partnership work between unions and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 and Coventry’s City of Culture and supports the Combined Authority’s identification of the creative industries as a cornerstone of regional economic growth.

Rob Johnston, TUC Midlands Policy and Campaigns Officer, said: “This is a truly landmark agreement. Creative workers employed through the combined authority will now receive union rates. Moreover, it sends a signal to the wider industry around the pay and conditions that are expected in our region.

“With a focus on local employment and inclusion, this agreement will help deliver a thriving creative sector, underpinned with good jobs, here in the West Midlands.”

Did you come across a job listing asking musicians to work for no or low pay?

The MU regularly hears from musicians asked to work for free. Asking musicians to work for free is unacceptable at any time.

If you come across a job listing asking musicians to work for no or low pay, report it to the MU or share it on social media using the hashtag #WorkNotPlayMU.

Let us know

Music is work, not play

Learn more about our fight for fair pay for musicians and what else you can do to help us build a picture of the problem and get data to work on solution.

Are you an MU member?

Contact your MU Regional Office for advice on if that “opportunity” is really worth it, and strategies for negotiating a fee.

Did you come across a job listing asking musicians to work for no or low pay?

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