Welsh National Opera chorus to continue industrial action

Welsh National Opera (WNO) chorus members have voted unanimously in favour of further action short of strike as negotiations with the company over the size, pay and contracts of the group continue.

The chorus has previously taken action short of a strike, by wearing #SaveOurWNO T-shirts during performances, leafleting and talking to audience members about why they are taking action, across several dates. Their next action is due to impact performances on 27 February and 1 March.

The 30-strong group first voted for industrial action in September over the opera company’s plans to reduce their full time contracts to 45 weeks with a salary cut of at least 15% over the year, as part of cost-saving measures following a reduction in funding from Arts Council England.

A statement from the performance arts union Equity says that while negotiations between WNO and its chorus members are progressing towards a final deal around pay and full-time status, the chorus decided on further action to “stand strong against the prospect of compulsory redundancies”.

“There are also concerns about unsustainable schedules that would affect work-life balance and caring responsibilities, but positive progress is being made,” Equity’s statement adds.

Simon Curtis, Equity’s Wales officer, said the chorus’s decision shows there is much that needs protecting. “Removing the threat of compulsory redundancy altogether is the only guaranteed way our dispute will be resolved,” he added.

WNO’s orchestra members have also been conducting industrial action against cost-saving proposals that would reduce the employment of the orchestra from full-time to 85% contracts, alongside a 15% pay cut.

The 42-strong group of musicians, represented by the Musicians’ Union, first voted for strike action last July.

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Government funding

Equity has welcomed the additional funding recently made available to Arts Council of Wales by the Welsh government, but believes that “sadly the damage has already been done with the initial cut last year”.

Curtis said the restoration to 2023/24 funding levels is “no more than a sticking plaster over a previous cut” and represents a further 2% cut in real terms on top of a 40% cut in real terms since 2010. 

“Despite this announcement, Wales still has the lowest funding for arts and culture in Europe and a more sustainable longer-term strategy for funding is required as a matter of urgency,” Curtis added.