ONE of the ad hoc singers dismissed by Cape Town Opera has fired back at accusations that the group of 12 had gone behind the back of the company to sign separate contracts with organisers of a festival in France.
Vuyisa Jack returned to Cape Town late on Monday night to an uncertain future after he and 11 other “background” singers were fired on August 18 for breach of contract.
But Jack said the issue with work contracts started before the group left Cape Town on May 28.
“One of our singers had to apply for a Schengen visa at the French consulate. That's when we realised there was a separate contract for us, apart from the one we already had with Cape Town Opera.”
On top of their South African salaries, Cape Town Opera also paid for their flights and accommodation, and gave them money for food.
Their contract with the organisers of the Aix-en-Provence Festival was initially from May 29 until July 18, with further extensions and dates for the Edinburgh Festival added later.
“Cape Town Opera never informed us that there was a contract that festival organisers had offered the singers,” said Jack.
Just for the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the singers were paid a wage of R58 211, but Jack said this would not have been the case if they had not known about the contracts.
While in the south of France, the contracted singers worked on two productions, Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte and Peleas et Mellisande, along with a fund-raising gala.
Jack said the singers contracted to Cape Town Opera were paid no more than R9 000 a month in South Africa.
“In France, if we did not sign individual contracts we would be working illegally, and could be deported and barred from entering the European Union for 10 years,” said Jack.
All 12 singers signed their contracts only after working in France for five weeks.