What is it like working on and behind the stage? Markus Dietze, director and artistic director of the Koblenz Theater, on the dispute with the stage unions.
The stage unions complain that artistic employees at German theaters are hardly protected under labor law and, in the worst case, are exposed to the arbitrariness of artistic directors and directors. At least in phases, 60-hour weeks are permitted. Short-term rehearsal planning can make life complicated. Collective bargaining is currently taking place to reorganize working conditions on the stages. Markus Dietze, director of the Koblenz Theater since 2009, is a member of the negotiating commission on the stage association, the employers’ association of theaters and orchestras.