Planned strikes scheduled for February 1, 2024, by the musicians and staff of the English National Opera (ENO) have been put on hold following the announcement of an interim agreement.
Earlier in January, ENO's musicians and staff voted in favor of a full strike starting on February 1, 2024, in response to proposed substantial cuts by Arts Council England (ACE). The proposed cuts included the elimination of 19 full-time positions in the ENO orchestra and placing the remaining full-time musicians on short-term contracts. In protest against these cuts, ENO's then-music director Martyn Brabbins resigned.
In December 2023, ACE also requested that ENO relocate its home base from London to Manchester, threatening to withdraw the annual £12 million funding grant if the move was not made.
The planned strike by ENO has now been suspended, as announced by the Equity Trade Union, which revealed an interim settlement with the company on its website. The statement mentioned that although this settlement doesn't signify the absolute conclusion of negotiations, there is confidence that productive discussions will lead to a complete resolution in the coming weeks.
As a result of the interim settlement, the industrial action scheduled for The Handmaid’s Tale on February 1 has been suspended. This pause provides time for ENO to finalize negotiations with the Musicians’ Union, who are also suspending their action, and to confirm the final details of both offers. The Equity statement emphasized that their mandate for industrial action remains active until a comprehensive settlement is achieved.
The ENO provided an update confirming that, despite the ongoing negotiations, the opening night of The Handmaid’s Tale on February 1 will proceed as planned. The Musicians’ Union has outlined their demands, including a guarantee of a minimum seven-month contract, first refusal on work outside London, equal choices on new contracts, equal total hours available to all, and fair pay.
The ENO expressed optimism about the interim settlement with Equity and indicated that mediation with the Musicians’ Union would commence to achieve a similar agreement and finalize the details of both offers.
