The Coliseum, London the ‘spiritual home’ of ENO… for now [© User Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 detail]

THE English National Opera is on a collision course with its artistic workforce after a union balloted for strike action.

The ENO – the spiritual home of British opera in Covent Garden – has shocked staff with plans to slash salaries and ditch “chorus” singers ahead of a move up north. Wages could be cut by 40 per cent due to a collapse in Arts Council England funding, according to Equity.

The ENO has announced a move to a new base in Manchester but has not guaranteed any jobs for its current workforce.

Lottie Stables, Equity union’s opera rep, said: “Equity’s members cannot accept the devastating contract cuts which are being proposed by ENO management, which would result in a 40 per cent loss of income and a worsening of their terms and conditions. Our members in the chorus want to be on stage, performing affordable and accessible to diverse audiences, and our message to ENO management is clear, we continue to seek a negotiated solution to this dispute.”

A petition addressed to the ENO top boss Jenny Mollica called for no compulsory redundancies among the ENO “chorus” and to be given the first right of refusal on any jobs at the new base in Manchester.

The ENO announced that it would be moving to Manchester last month after ACE stripped away its annual grant of £12.8million and said any future funding would depend on it moving outside of capital.

David John-Newman, ENO chorus member and Equity rep, added: “We are truly excited about an additional ENO base being located in Manchester but heartbroken there are no concrete plans to take the performing workforce there and share great ENO experiences with audiences in the north west.

“In addition, ENO are reducing the chorus contract to just six months and offering a wage which will be unsustainable for work in central London.”

He added: “We don’t want to have to ballot for industrial action, all we want is a ‘Fair Wage On Stage’.”

The ballot for strike action closes on January 16.

The ENO company has said it is now excited by the potential to boost Manchester’s “vibrant arts ecology”. Its statement said: “Everyone at ENO respects trade unions’ members’ right to industrial action as part of our ongoing negotiations. However, we believe that the issues raised are best resolved around the negotiation table. We continue our conversations with Equity 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.”