MALE, Maldives (CU)_The Musicians Union Maldives (MUM) has requested the government to take action against the unlawful employment of foreign artists in resorts, as numerous local artists have been out of work since the COVID-19 pandemic began. With a series of tweets posted on the MUM’s Twitter account, the union emphasized their attempts to address the problem. Through their tweets, MUM indicated that several local artists have lost their jobs as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic which closed international borders in March 2020 and paused the travel industry.
The MUM also stated that previously they had discussed the problem with Minister of Arts Yumna Maumoon, Minister of Sports Ahmed Mahloof, Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail, and Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Ahmed Hussain. It reported that despite the formation of an inter-governmental committee to address the problem, no action has been taken so far.
According to the Maldives Musicians Union, even after the reopening of borders, the condition of local artists remained miserable. MUM reported that the resorts preferred international musicians over local musicians, leaving hundreds of local musicians unemployed. The Union stated that according to Maldives’ Foreign Employees Act, it is illegal to employ foreign artists while local talent is available in Maldives.
The MUM revealed dissatisfaction over the fact that no action had been taken by the officials to secure the rights and job security of local artists even after knowing their complaints for many years. The Maldives Musicians Union emphasized that action is more important as many local artists and talents grapple with the economic downslide brought about by COVID-19, which has left them without work or a stable income.
