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Opera singers pause strikes over pay and jobs

Getty Images Two singers in a performanceGetty Images
The ensemble of singers are in dispute with WNO management over pay and jobs

Chorus singers in the Welsh National Opera have paused their planned industrial action later this month.

The performers were due to strike on 21 and 29 September over proposed pay cuts and compulsory redundancies, the Equity Wales union said.

But members have now said "productive discussions with WNO management" over the past week have led to a pause, to allow further conversations to take place.

The members will still be taking action short of a strike to coincide with the opening night of their performance of Rigoletto on Saturday, alongside the WNO orchestra musicians who voted for the action in July.

This will include members of the chorus leafleting the public outside the Wales Millennium Centre, where the production is taking place.

The WNO chorus is a full-time professional ensemble who work alongside the WNO orchestra and all 30 of its singers are union members.

On Tuesday, chorus members were consulted on progress in talks and voted overnight in favour of the pause.

Equity Wales said the third date of its planned strike action on 11 October was still scheduled to take place.

More than 1,200 people have signed an open letter to Yvette Vaughan Jones, the chairperson of the WNO board, calling on her to intervene with WNO management to save jobs in the company’s chorus.

Simon Curtis of Equity Wales said: "We're encouraged by recent positive engagement from WNO management so far, which is why our members made the decision to pause strike action.

"However, we are not out of the woods yet and an agreement ensuring the jobs and livelihoods of the chorus has not been reached."

A spokesperson for WNO said they were "pleased with the decision meaning their opening night performances in Cardiff will go ahead as planned".

"We will continue to engage in open and transparent negotiations with the unions and are committed to finding a solution which works for WNO Chorus & Orchestra members while also recognising the reality of WNO's financial situation following significant cuts to its public funding," they added.