Welsh National Opera Musicians to Leaflet Opening Night

By Francisco Salazar

Musicians in the Welsh National Opera have announced they will take industrial action later this month over proposed pay cuts.

The musicians announced that they would not be striking on Sept. 21 and instead would leaflet the audience on their way into the opening night performance of “Rigoletto” and wear campaign t-shirts during the performance.

The news comes after the WNO management announced a proposal to cut jobs and pay by 15 percent.

The BBC is also reporting that the musicians will be calling on management, Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England to keep WNO as a full-time company and stop the proposed 15 percent pay cut. Additionally, the musicians want management to agree on a sustainable funding package to secure WNO’s future including touring.

 The budgetary issues for the company have come this past year after the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England cut the amount of money given to the WNO by 11.8 percent and 35 percent respectively. The company recently announced changes to its 2024-25 season and noted that it will no longer be touring the Bristol Hippodrome in February 2025, and will not be touring Venue Cymru, Llandudno in May 2025.

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