Chorus at Welsh National Opera pause strike action to allow further talks

Members of the chorus at the Welsh National Opera are continuing to pause strike action to allow more talks to be held in a dispute over cuts.

Equity said a planned walkout on Friday will not go ahead.

Action short of strike will go ahead instead, involving chorus members wearing T-shirts saying “#SaveOurWNO #AchubOCC” during the performance of Opera Favourites At The Movies, and leafleting audience members outside the venue – Venue Cymru, Llandudno – prior to the show.

Strike action is still planned for November 15 coinciding with Opera Favourites At The Movies at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

Addressed

Simon Curtis, Equity Wales official, says: “Equity’s discussions have been ongoing with WNO management since April of this year, but it is only now – with a new interim general director at the WNO – that our concerns are being addressed seriously and with an appreciation of the highly skilled jobs our members do for the company.

“To make sure we explore every possible option to safeguard jobs and the workforce requires time, and that is why we are allowing this new management space to reach an agreement which works for our members.

“The chorus continue to be concerned about the implications and any implementation of management’s most recent proposals and our demands remain the same – a full-time chorus on a full-time wage, with no compulsory redundancies.”