ARGENTINA: Musicians play protest concert outside the Colon Theatre

Record ID: 340304

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Musicians play protest concert outside the Colon Theatre
  • Date: 17th February 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JORGE PIAZZA, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COLON THEATRE, SAYING "If we go on strike - something that we don't want to do - it is because something is going wrong and what is going wrong is the mistreatment of staff, the low salaries and all that goes with a management that has nothing to do with a theatre of social interest. They are implementing a theatre
  • Embargoed: 4th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA7VG7X82CYNKURUXLYSDWT12MH
  • Story Text: Classical musicians from the Buenos Aires's majestic Colon Theatre struck a different chord on Wednesday (February 16), when they played a street-side protest concert to demand better working conditions.
    Members of the theatre's orchestra played outside the main doors to call for increased wages and more rights, including the liberty to strike.
    The move follows ongoing internal conflict at the theatre, which has led to an executive suing a group of technicians and artists for lost earnings during past disputes.
    Jorge Piazza, a representative of the theatre, explained why the musicians felt the need to take action.
    "If we go on strike - something that we don't want to do - it is because something is going wrong and what is going wrong is the mistreatment of staff, the low salaries and all that goes with a management that has nothing to do with a theatre of social interest. They are implementing a theatre of economic interest, they are outsourcing the theatre, displacing 340 people that we recovered to replace them with private companies. It is to say that they have transformed the Colon Theatre into a corporate society," said Piazza.
    The concert drew appreciative crowds, but the musicians hope their underlining tune will have been heard by the decision-makers.
    The Colon Theatre, considered one of the best concert venues in the world -- was reopened in 2010 after a long restoration project.
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