Strikes at ENO confirmed as musicians and chorus members vote for industrial action

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English National Opera's current London home on St Martin's Lane. Photo: Shutterstock

Musicians and performers at English National Opera will take strike action next month in a dispute over planned cuts to the workforce.

It will mark the first time the MU has held strike action since 1980.

Chorus members and orchestra and music staff from both Equity and the Musicians’ Union will strike on February 1 – the first day of performances for ENO’s production of The Handmaid’s Tale.

If the strikes go ahead as planned, the show is not expected to take place, according to the unions.

A ballot carried out by Equity saw 100% of chorus members vote in favour of strike action, while in December last year, 92% of MU members who work in the orchestra and as music staff at ENO responded to a ballot on industrial action, of which 93.48% voted yes to full strike action and 97.83% for action short of a strike.

This will mark the first time Musicians’ Union members have taken full strike action since July 1980.

Musicians’ Union members working in ENO’s orchestra and as music staff will also be taking action short of a strike beginning on January 30, which will see them leafleting the dress rehearsal of The Handmaid’s Tale and calling on audience members to show solidarity with the orchestra and music staff, some of whom could lose up to 70% of their work, the MU claims.

The unions’ ballots were conducted after ENO management announced plans to make all of the chorus, orchestra and music staff redundant and only re-employ them for six months of the year.

For some musicians in the orchestra, the proposal was to reduce contracts even further with some being offered ad hoc freelance work only, the MU said, while Equity has warned that stage management will be affected too.
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Equity members to vote on strike action over ENO cuts

The strike action follows a turbulent period for ENO, in which it has been forced to set up headquarters outside of London as part of a new funding arrangement with Arts Council England. It was announced last year that it had selected Greater Manchester as the area it would be relocating to. It is expected to transition to its new business model over the next two years, and said it would be firmly embedded in the area by 2029. 

MU general secretary Naomi Pohl said: “This is a historic moment for the Musicians’ Union and the UK’s orchestra sector – the first time we’ve been on strike since 1980. 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. 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. It is heartbreaking to see the impact on the individuals affected.”

Equity general secretary Paul W Fleming 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?".

"We campaigned relentlessly to get ENO its improved funding deal. We support an ENO with two properly funded bases – and ENO management fought alongside us, saying they did too. Instead, they are throwing the artists who audiences pay to see under the bus while protecting the pay of senior management. They are proposing ’fire and re-hire’, 40% cuts in wages, and no permanent jobs in a new Manchester base. After months of seeking a negotiated solution, our members have returned a strong vote in favour of taking strike action," he said.

He added: "To avoid this, management know what they must do: protect the workforce that makes ENO great, and give audiences in Manchester and London the ENO they deserve and have been promised. ENO bosses: get back to the table.”

More information is to be announced regarding pickets and activity around strike action on February 1, alongside further dates.

Negotiations will continue, and the unions said they hoped that "industrial action can be averted through talks with ENO management and a dignified agreement that protects the pay, terms and conditions of our members".

Ronald Nairne, ENO chorus member and Equity deputy, said: “It gives me no pleasure to vote for strike action – I joined the ENO chorus to sing, and to share opera with as many people as possible. Management’s proposals to fire and rehire me and my colleagues with a 40% salary cut and worsened working conditions will make remaining in the chorus unsustainable for many. I voted yes to taking strike action to force our management to reconsider their plans and come up with a different, more creative model that protects the workforce.”

Glen Sheldon, violinist and MU steward at ENO, added: “It is very rare for musicians to consider strike action – their whole purpose in life is to bring to the public wonderful music at the highest standard. It simply cannot be right for a publicly funded opera company to consider functioning with a half-time orchestra but full-time management. The threat to our musicians’ livelihoods, homes and well-being threatens their very ability to continue in the profession to which they have devoted their lives. This in turn threatens the quality and world-class standing of ENO as a company. ENO is its performers – it must not be allowed to diminish to being just a brand.”

A spokesperson for ENO said: "Everyone at ENO respects trade union members’ right to industrial action as part of our ongoing negotiations. However, we are disappointed that in doing so, it means audiences will miss out on an opportunity to experience the work and talent of the entire ENO company. We believe that the issues raised could be best resolved around the negotiation table."

They added: "We remain committed to continuing our conversations with the Unions in good faith as we work towards a sustainable future for ENO, within the context of our funding agreement reached with Arts Council England in July 2023. We will do all we can to ensure our audiences experience least disruption possible, and any audience members impacted by this action will be contacted at the earliest opportunity."