ENO strike suspended

UK performing arts and entertainment industries trade union Equity has today announced, that chorus members at the English National Opera (ENO) will not be striking on 1 February. The suspension of strike action will also be followed by the Musicians’ Union (MU), while negotiations continue.

The now-cancelled strike action was set to make history, marking the first time the orchestra has taken formal strike action in over 40 years. The action, proposed in response to proposals to make all members of the orchestra and music staff redundant and only reemploy them for 6 months per year, was also set to coincided with the opening night of the ENO’s production of The Handmaid’s Tale which would not have gone ahead if the strikes took place.

In a statement release this morning, Equity said: 'We are pleased to announce that Equity has reached an interim settlement with the English National Opera for the chorus. Although this does not mark the absolute end of negotiations, we are confident that constructive talks can lead to a full resolution in the coming weeks. Consequently, industrial action on the Handmaid’s Tale on the 1st February is suspended. This suspension also allows time for the ENO to complete its negotiations with the Musicians’ Union, who are also suspending their action, and to confirm the final details of both offers. Our mandate for industrial action remains live until such time a full settlement is reached.'

MU members in the ENO’s orchestra and music staff have confirmed they will still be taking ‘action short of a strike’ from tomorrow (30 January), leafleting the dress rehearsal of The Handmaid’s Tale and calling on audience members to show solidarity.

In a statement released today, the MU has confirmed that it 'has made some progress but requires further negotiation to achieve a settlement that will be acceptable to its members. Consequently, industrial action on The Handmaid's Tale on 1 February is suspended but our mandate for industrial action remains live until such a time a full settlement is reached. The Musicians' Union will continue taking action short of a strike while negotiations are ongoing and we have notified the management of further strike dates in two weeks' time.'