The Musicians’ Union and Equity said plans to axe 19 orchestra posts and make other staff members work part-time would threaten musicians’ livelihoods.
ADVERTISEMENTEnglish National Opera (ENO) musicians will go on strike for the first time in more than 40 years over plans to put performers on part-time contracts.
The Musicians’ Union has announced strike action will begin on 1 February, to coincide with the opening night of the company’s production of The Handmaid’s Tale.
If the strikes go ahead, the show won’t take place, and it will be the first walk-out since a protest against planned BBC cuts in 1980.
The Musicians’ Union (MU) and Equity said plans to axe 19 orchestra posts and make other staff members work part-time would threaten musicians’ livelihoods.
Musicians in the orchestra and music staff are calling on management to guarantee, amongst other demands, a seven month contract, first refusal on work outside London, and decent pay for music staff.
News of the strike comes after ENO’s music director Martyn Brabbins quit the company in October over concerns that plans to cut orchestral roles and put remaining performers on part-time contracts amounted to “managed decline.”
Naomi Pohl, the union’s general secretary, said: “This is a sign of extremely difficult times for the orchestral sector and opera and ballet in particular. This has been caused by underfunding of the proposed move to Manchester.”
ENO was removed from Arts Council England’s (ACE) national portfolio last year, losing its £12.8m annual grant, and told it must move outside London to qualify for future grants. Last month, the ENO announced it had chosen Greater Manchester as its future home.
ACE’s decision was condemned as “cultural vandalism”.
“The management have decided to cut our members down to six months of work per year and this risks a wonderful, talented and specialist orchestra dissipating,” added Pohl. “It is heartbreaking to see the impact on the individuals affected.”
Paul Fleming, Equity general secretary, said: “The heart of this dispute is about who opera in this country is for: should there be stable, accessible jobs for people from every background, or precarious jobs limited to the few?”
He said ENO management were “throwing the artists who audiences pay to see under the bus whilst protecting the pay of senior management”, adding that “they are proposing fire and rehire, 40% cuts in wages, and no permanent jobs in a new Manchester base”.
MU National Organiser for Orchestras Jo Laverty shared that the members at English National Opera are “devastated to be having to consider this level of action but their personal and professional lives are being devastated by these decisions.”
“We know that some members are having to sell their homes and make hugely impactful life decisions without a certain future about their work for ENO.”
Laverty continued: "To date, there is no guarantee how much work or what type of work there will be for our members at the new base in Manchester.”
According to Musicians’ Union recent census, the average musician earns just £20,000 (€23,300) a year, the same average pay as a decade ago.
The union added that following the closure of live performances during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis continuing, many musicians are struggling to support themselves.
“It is unclear how ENO management expect people in the ENO orchestra to survive on six months’ work a year or sustain careers over the remaining six months.”
