Carriageworks has been accused of intimidation after allegedly telling staff who are boycotting the controversial Sydney Festival not to come to work.
The arts and culture venue is currently hosting eight performances during the month-long event, which is under fire for accepting a $20,000 donation from the Israeli Embassy.
An estimated 20 staff members have shown solidarity with the pro-Palestine movement so far, with approximately half of the group having opted out of shifts that run with the festival’s programme days. Employees not in a position to forfeit work have been wearing handmade ‘Free Palestine Movement’ badges on site instead.
Senior management reportedly gave them two options last week: stop wearing the badge or be paid to stay offsite. However, those who had previously dropped their shifts were not offered financial compensation. While there have thankfully been no punishment or repercussions so far, staff have said their leaders are taking advantage of their precarious position as a predominantly casual workforce.
Charlie*, who spoke to Junkee on the condition of anonymity, said they’ve been feeling disillusioned at Carriageworks’ inaction, given how front of house staff had been collectively expressing their outrage since the start of January.
“While upper management expressed concern about how to handle potential protests during the festival, they remained silent on the issue of the Israeli funding, and did not address the reality that staff would be put in a compromising position as they would be expected to be the face of the Sydney Festival shows at Carriageworks,” they said.
Read the article by Millie Roberts in Junkee.