| 'Pay more' into public pensions Members of public sector pension schemes should pay higher contributions, says an independent commission led by Lord Hutton. bbc.co.uk |
Sacked oboist was 'bullied' by conductor, tribunal hears Welsh National Opera musician claims unfair dismissal after 1994 incident triggered years of 'persistent abuse'A renowned conductor and music director bullied and harassed a principal oboist following a clash during rehearsals, an employment tribunal was told today.Italian-born Carlo Rizzi fell out with oboist Murray Johnston after the musician told his conductor to stop singing while they practised, the tribunal heard.Johnston claimed he was "persistently abused" after the incident by Carlo Rizzi when they worked together at the Welsh National Opera.The oboist was sacked after playing with the WNO for 34 years and making more than 50 recordings. He is claiming unfair dismissal at the tribunal in Cardiff.Rizzi had two stints at the WNO as music director between 1992 and 2001 and then for three more years from 2004, but the relationship between the two "never recovered" after an incident in a rehearsal in 1994, when Johnston told Rizzi to stop singing, the tribunal heard.Nick Smith, representing the oboist, said: "Rizzi's behaviour was extreme on that day. He stormed off, locked himself in a room and kicked furniture about."Smith claimed other members of the orchestra wrote letters complaining about Rizzi's behaviour.He said: "The language of these letters was very, very strong. They accuse Mr Rizzi of intimidation and harassment, of even making one woman ill."Johnston, 61, claimed he was targeted by Rizzi for years before being sacked in 2008. On one occasion he claimed he was the victim of an "attack" by the conductor in front of the whole orchestra.He said: "Mr Rizzi stopped the rehearsal probably 20 or 30 times to criticise my playing. I felt victimised and bullied."The oboist was forced to prove his ability, though he had been doing his job for three decades, by taking a "capability test".Musicians' Union representative Bill Kerr said: "He exonerated himself in the capability test. Unless the company had a tangible reason to doubt his ability it appeared to be a witch-hunt."It is quite unusual for someone to go through the capability test procedure and even more unusual for them to pass it. If you are not up to the job then you are spotted pretty quickly. I don't think a principal oboe player playing poorly could hide for three or four minutes."The feeling was Mr Johnston had been unfairly singled out by Carlo Rizzi above and beyond the normal reasoning."John Fisher, the chief executive and artistic director of WNO, denied claims that the company management was "in awe of Mr Rizzi" and backed him out of "blind faith".He said: "I'm not in awe of anyone. I believed the complaints were a case of colleagues backing each other up."WNO managing director Peter Bellingham denied Johnston, from Cardiff, was unfairly dismissed from the company. He told the hearing Rizzi felt the oboe player's standards had dropped to such a level he was "holding the entire orchestra back".Rizzi will not give evidence to the tribunal. The hearing continues.Employment tribunalsClassical musicWork & careersEmployment lawSteven Morrisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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