Chorus singers at the Welsh National Opera have put a pause on their planned industrial action following “productive discussions” with management, the Equity Wales union announced.
The performers were initially set to strike on 21 and 29 September in protest of proposed pay cuts and compulsory redundancies. However, after engaging in talks with WNO management, the chorus members have decided to hold off on the strike to allow for further conversations.
While the strike has been paused, the members will still be taking action short of a strike during the opening night of their performance of Rigoletto on Saturday. This will include leafleting the public outside the Wales Millennium Centre where the production is taking place.
The WNO chorus, a full-time professional ensemble, consists of 30 singers who are all union members. Despite the pause in strike action, the third date of planned strike action on 11 October is still scheduled to take place.
More than 1,200 people have signed an open letter urging the chairperson of the WNO board to intervene and save jobs in the company’s chorus. Equity Wales expressed optimism about the recent engagement from WNO management but emphasized that a final agreement to protect chorus jobs has not yet been reached.
In response, a spokesperson for WNO expressed satisfaction with the decision to pause the strike, ensuring that the opening night performances in Cardiff will proceed as planned. They reiterated their commitment to transparent negotiations with the unions to find a solution that addresses the financial challenges faced by WNO while also safeguarding the jobs and livelihoods of chorus and orchestra members.
