WNO singers pause strike action over pay and jobs

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.