Chorus members at Welsh National Opera postpone strike action

Chorus members at the Welsh National Opera (WNO) have again agreed to postpone a planned strike after “progress” was made in talks around cuts.

Equity said its 30-strong chorus would not strike on Friday November 15.

Other industrial action would still go ahead, including chorus members wearing campaign T-shirts on stage during curtain calls, making speeches to the audience from the stage and demonstrating outside venues.

We have made progress in talks, but the latest proposal doesn't resolve all the problems and we have a gap to close to reach a resolution

The planned action was due to coincide with the show Opera Favourites At The Movies at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

Previous action in October was also called off by Equity to allow for further talks to take place.

Simon Curtis, of Equity Wales, said: “Our WNO chorus members are understandably frustrated, and the ongoing uncertainty about jobs and income is very stressful.

“We will use the performance on Friday November 15 as an opportunity to highlight the threats to WNO as our members remain resolute in maintaining a full-time chorus and their opposition to compulsory redundancies.

The February strike action would be a significant escalation and we hope that every effort can be put into a negotiated settlement that protects the future of the chorus and Welsh National Opera productions

“We have made progress in talks, but the latest proposal doesn’t resolve all the problems and we have a gap to close to reach a resolution.

“The February strike action would be a significant escalation and we hope that every effort can be put into a negotiated settlement that protects the future of the chorus and Welsh National Opera productions.”

The union has planned further strike action for February 6, 7 and 8 next year if the dispute is not resolved.

It would coincide with the first two nights of Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.