ENO Strike Suspended as Talks Continue

Equity has announced that chorus members at the English National Opera will not strike on 1 February. The Musicians' Union will also suspend strike action while negotiations continue.

The now-cancelled strike action was set to make history, marking the first time the orchestra had taken formal strike action in over 40 years. The action, proposed in response to proposals to make all members of the orchestra and music staff redundant and only reemploy them for six months per year, was also set to coincide with the opening night of the ENO’s production of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Equity released a statement on their website:

We are pleased to announce that Equity has reached an interim settlement with the English National Opera for the chorus. Although this does not mark the absolute end of negotiations, we are confident that constructive talks can lead to a full resolution in the coming weeks. Consequently, industrial action on the Handmaid’s Tale on the 1st February is suspended.

This suspension also allows time for the ENO to complete its negotiations with the Musicians’ Union, who are also suspending their action, and to confirm the final details of both offers. Our mandate for industrial action remains live until such time a full settlement is reached.