Musicians put pay case

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 2

Musicians put pay case

(N.Z. Preu Association) WELLINGTON. Radio New Zealand’s failure to increase a merit allowance for members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra was described on Thursday as “blatantly unfair”. The ch«im...a of the State Services Tribunal (Mr N. R. Taylor, S.M.) made the comment after being told that an annual merit allowance for orchestra members of up to $BOO had not been increased since it was introduced in 1963. The tribunal adj urned the hearing of p Jaim by Radio New Zealand and the Public Service Association for a career structure for orchestra players until next Friday. “I would not think that many pe-ple would strive

very hard to improve their play for only $BOO these days,” Mr Taylor said. He said the allowance would have to be increased by 160 per cent if it were to regain its original value. Th > association wants the present single-grade career structure for orchestra players to be changed to a 15grade structure. The proposal is disputed by Radio New Zealand, which wants a six-grade career structure. An orchestra player, Mr J. Hyatt, said there would be less danger of the playing standards’ slipping if the orchestra could retain its players. Mr Hyatt said many players were forced to leave the orchestra for financial reasons, and were often very hard to replace. He said the orchestra had wriTen to 30 countries seeking information on comS arable career structures, ut had received only three replies.

?■ Hyatt said the workload and travelling distances had increased substantially in recent years. A second player, Mr A. J. Gold, said orchesa players should be adequately compensated for the time they were forced to spend away from their families. A free-lance musician and former member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr Harry Botham, said he did not join the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra when he migrated to New Zealand in 1950 because of the low wages and lack of career structure. He subsequently played for the orchestra for five years, but left to teach music. The association’s Jvocate, Mr J. J. Terris, said the introduction of the proposed structure would not mean an increase in ticket prices. Mr Terris said orchestra players wanted relativity

with secondary schoolteachers, while Radio New Zealar. 1 wanted to tie them with radio announcers. Mr Taylor asked for further information on announcing careers, so that the tribunal could decide whether it would be a fair relativity. Radio New Zealand’s concert manager (Mr P. W. Avery) said ticket pri:es for orchestra co’ ?rts were being reviewed because of rising costs. Competing arts were charging far higher firices for performances of ower quality. Mr Avery said < ly 34 appoir ts had been made to the orchestra in the last five years. There was an annual staff turn-over rate of about 10 per cent, and this was acceptable, he said. It would be fair to say that orchestra players would have received a better deal if they had exercised some industrial “muscle” over the years.