Members of the Musicians' Union of Ireland are to protest at next week's opening of the Wexford Festival Opera over its use of a Belarussian orchestra.
The union, part of SIPTU, says the festival should use musicians from Ireland or another EU state.
In a statement issued by SIPTU yesterday, the MUI secretary, Mr John Swift, said this would be the third successive year that the orchestra and chorus engaged by the festival would have no members from the EU.
"Our members are concerned that the Belarussian orchestra which is contracted to play for the festival will be asked to work for terms and conditions below the established level and standards accepted across the European Union," he said.
The MUI was "appalled" that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment had disregarded its own work-permit regulations to allow a Belarussian orchestra to play for the festival, he added.
This was rejected by a spokesman for the Department as "absolute nonsense".
The MUI protest, which is to be supported by another SIPTU branch, Irish Actors' Equity, is to take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, the opening night of the festival.
Mr Swift said the union had no dispute with the musicians or choir from Belarus.
"All we want is for Irish-based musicians to be given a chance to perform at this very prestigious event," he said.
"We are therefore calling on the festival organisers, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and the Arts Council to ensure that in future the orchestra and chorus for the Wexford Festival Opera are from Ireland or another European country."
By granting work permits to the Belarussian orchestra, the Department was depriving Irish-based musicians of substantial performing opportunities, he said.
The Department spokesman confirmed that work permits were required for the Belarussian musicians. But it was a matter for the Wexford Festival Opera to decide what orchestra it wished to use for the event.
The Department would not prevent musicians from abroad from playing in Ireland, he said.
In a statement, the Wexford Festival Opera said it had made every effort to reach agreement with RTÉ on the engagement of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (NSOI) on terms that could be afforded.
It regretted that these negotiations had broken down. Efforts to reach agreement would continue, however, in the hope that the NSOI could be engaged for the 2004 festival.
"While these discussions are ongoing it would be inappropriate for the festival to make any further comment on the matter," it said.
It is understood the MUI protest will take the form of a theatrical event, rather than a conventional demonstration.
Mr Swift emphasised the fact that the festival received substantial public funding, of €736,000 this year alone, from the Arts Council. Yet Irish-based musicians were "excluded from the event", he said.
