No more theatrics with outsourcing: Verdi stands firm against Berlin's theater sell-off
Union Warns Against Novel Operator Systems in Movie Theaters - Union issues alert on emergent theatre management strategies
Attention Berliners! The drama could be about to unfold off-stage as global trade union, Verdi, issues a stern warning against the proposed privatization of state-owned Berlin theaters. This move, Verdi argues, could provoke union desertion, job losses, and an unfavorable work environment. And they're just not having it.
Andrea Kuhnemann, Verdi's regional boss, voices her concerns, "There's no fat to cut on the stages with outsourcing. In fact, it's a recipe for disaster. There's a looming specter of commercialization threatening artistic independence and diversity."
Stages need saving, not selling
To preserve Berlin's cultural heart, what it truly demands is robust finances and a booming theater scene. Let's not forget about our hardworking thespians and their representatives who should have a hand in any discussions revolving around changes like those happening at our beloved theaters such as Volksbühne, Gorki Theater, Deutsche Theater, Theater an der Parkaue, and the Konzerthaus.
Money's tight again, everyone
As part of budget-slashing measures in Berlin, funds earmarked for culture were chopped last year, further squeezed finances. Faced with leaner purses, the Berlin Senate commenced discussions in February this year with various stages, aiming to restructure and finance the cultural landscape of tomorrow.
A cultural gabfest!
Culture Senator Joe Chialo (CDU) explains their open dialogue approach, "It's a friendly interchange of ideas to brainstorm the future of theater, opera, and our beloved cultural scene. We're tossing around ideas like public foundations modeled after the successful opera foundation." But the talks are still brewing, no arrival of a verdict yet. No privatization, Chialo promises.
The RBB hints that mergers, shared departments, common structures for storage, logistics, and management of theaters, might be under debate. Reports hint at an email from Culture State Secretary Sarah Wedl-Wilson to several stages regarding these discussions.
- United Service Workers' Union
- Berlin
- Outsourcing
- The United Service Workers' Union (dienstleistungsgewerkschaft) warns that strengthening outsourcing in Berlin's theater scene, as hinted by the potential mergers and shared departments, could lead to a detrimental impact on community policy, impacting employees' job security and work environment.
- In the ongoing discussions between the Berlin Senate and various theaters about restructuring and financing their cultural landscape, the union emphasizes the importance of considering vocational training as a key factor, aiming to ensure a strong, skilled, and secure workforce in the future.
- As theater privatization debates continue, it is crucial for the union to be involved in any dialogue revolving around changes affecting their members, including those at prominent locations like Volksbühne, Gorki Theater, Deutsche Theater, Theater an der Parkaue, and the Konzerthaus, in order to preserve artistic training, development, and protection.
