Now things are getting serious for Salzburg’s cultural institution: They have to explain to the court whether they have paid musicians and actors.
The artists’ lawsuit could have repercussions for the entire industry: They have teamed up with the Association of Freelancers and are demanding money from the Salzburg Festival. Namely the payments that were missed during the Corona period in 2020, according to the lawsuit. Next week, on November 15th, the case will be heard at the Vienna Labor and Social Court. The issue has been simmering for a long time: As the “Krone” already reported, the artists sued last November. The Salzburg Festival did not meet its payment obligation. If the lawsuit is successful, other artists could also make subsequent claims. So far it has involved 80 people. The professional association of freelancers says: The compensation paid to artists for cancellations and postponements during the Corona period was not sufficient. At that time, the “Krone” spoke of “inadmissible employment practices”. The festival did not want to reveal on Monday which representative would go to the negotiations. And they announced: “The lawsuit against the festival is old. The facts have been known for a long time. In terms of content, the court hearing is about nothing new,” it says in response to a query from “Krone”.
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