Equity responds to ‘unjust’ WNO Chorus cuts

Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has responded to the Welsh National Opera’s (WNO) decision to reduce full-time contracts and the salary of union members in its chorus because of financial difficulties.

Despite describing the chorus as the ‘musical and artistic backbone of Welsh National Opera,’ WNO management proposes to reduce the current full-time contracts of Equity members to 45 weeks with an estimated cut in base salary of at least 15% a year. They also seek to ‘reduce and rebalance’ the size of the chorus, which may lead to compulsory redundancies.

Equity’s deputy and chorus committee at WNO said: ‘The proposal to diminish our full-time status seems reckless, albeit against the financial constraints imposed on the company, and will ultimately, we believe, have a damaging impact on the company’s ability to recruit and retain choristers going forward – which will ultimately damage the company’s ability to meet its vision of an uncompromising quest for artistic quality.’

The proposed changes are a result of substantial cuts to the company’s funding from the Arts Council England and Arts Council of Wales which have already prompted the reduction of the company’s touring activity in Liverpool, Llandudno, and Bristol and affected the opera’s reach to a wider audience.

Equity general secretary Paul W Fleming said: ‘There is a significant chasm between the views of the workforce and the view of funders as to who opera is for. We know that opera should be for everyone – as both an art form and a career choice. The arts councils in Wales and England need to step up to sort this funding crisis, whilst WNO go back to the drawing board on these unjust proposals. The funders and the bosses must know: Equity will keep all options open to fight an attack on our members’ pay and conditions.’

Equity has called on all its members and the general public to write to their politicians to stop cuts to arts funding and support the #SaveOurWNO movement.