The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 26th January 2024
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 26th January 2024
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Another group of workers have announced they are going on strike in protest at their employer planning to sack them and re-employ some for only six months of the year and leaving others even worse off having to rely on ad-hoc freelance work. Their unions will be holding a picket outside their workplace in central London on Tuesday before strike action begins on Thursday.
The workers in question are members of the Musicians’ Union (MU) and actors’ union Equity who work at the English National Opera (ENO). The specifics of the protest are that management are axing 19 posts in the orchestra and making the orchestra and music staff part-time.
After it was announced that over 90 per cent of MU members at the ENO voted yes to full strike action, Naomi Pohl, General Secretary of the MU, said: “This is a historic moment for the Musicians’ Union and the UK’s orchestra sector – the first time we’ve been on strike since 1980. This is a sign of extremely difficult times for the orchestral sector and opera and ballet in particular.”
She added that: “This has been caused by underfunding of the proposed move to Manchester. Management has decided to cut our members down to six months of work per year and this risks a wonderful, talented and specialist orchestra dissipating. It is heartbreaking to see the impact on the individuals affected.” The MU points out that “there is no guarantee how much work or what type of work there will be for our members”.
Violinist and local MU Steward at the ENO Glen Sheldon added: “It is very rare for musicians to consider strike action – their whole purpose in life is to bring to the public wonderful music at the highest standard. It simply cannot be right for a publicly funded opera company to consider functioning with a half-time orchestra but full-time management.”
Jo Laverty, the MU’s National Organiser for Orchestras, complained that: “Our members at ENO are devastated to be having to consider this level of action but their personal and professional lives are being devastated by these decisions. We know that some members are having to sell their homes and make hugely impactful life decisions without a certain future about their work for ENO.”
The ENO was previously threatened with total closure. It fended this off with Government and Arts Council England plans to move out of London to spread culture beyond the M25. The MU say the move to Manchester is unnecessary because that city already has facilities as an opera house. To rub salt into the wound, the ENO’s plans for Manchester are still vague, the MU complains.
The MU’s main demands at the ENO are a seven-month contract, first refusal on work outside London, equal contracts for orchestral members and equal total hours available to all. Needless to say, the upper reaches of ENO management are not suffering any job or hours cuts.
The other union involved, Equity, voted unanimously for action. Chorus member and Equity rep Ronald Nairne said: “It gives me no pleasure to vote for strike action – I joined the ENO Chorus to sing, and to share opera with as many people as possible. Management’s proposals to fireand-rehire me and my colleagues with a 40 per cent salary cut and worsened working conditions will make remaining in the chorus unsustainable for many.”
In addition to the MU demands, Equity are also seeking an annual vocal maintenance payment to cover singing lessons, coaching and support with vocal health when the chorus are not working on ENO shows.
Early last year at the nearby Royal Opera House the orchestra voted for industrial action which brought management to offer an improved deal, a fact that offers hope to workers at the ENO.
All this might seem a rather specialist matter, but fire-and-rehire battles are all too common in other businesses so a positive outcome would be welcome beyond the immediate issues. An annual health check to keep performers up to scratch is not too much to ask for.
Not everybody who performs on stage lives the life of Reilly. For every household name living in a mansion house there will be a hundred others flat-sharing. A few weeks ago the MU was advising would-be musicians that steady employment could be sought in an area of the music business where it cannot organise: the British armed forces.
Late last year the MU conducted a census of its members which revealed that the average musician earns just £20,000 per year, the same as a decade ago, which means a very real fall. At least most get paid. Some musicians are given the opportunity of working for the sheer love of it by publicans and are graciously allowed to keep any money donated by thirsty drinkers.
It was a business hard hit by the pandemic. The 34,500-strong and 130-year-old union is one of the few expanding unions in Britain.
New technology is an especially urgent issue for musicians. Their product can be endlessly repeated. While this has been the case since the time when Thomas Edison first recorded himself saying “Mary had a little lamb”, it has become increasingly difficult for musicians to be rewarded for their work after the initial payment.
The MU is anxious that musicians get a farer share of the profits from music streaming, which means anyone with a mobile can be supplied with endless music anywhere anytime with the profits going anywhere but to actual musicians.
Unsurprisingly, this is not a major issue with the Government’s Department of Culture Media and Sport. The MU complains that while there have been signs that record labels and online platforms have recently announced new revenue distribution policies that claim to be “artist centric”, the MU and other organisations have not been consulted and not much redistribution has been seen.
The progress that has been made will only apply to new recordings and won’t compensate musicians who performed on the millions of UK recordings already in existence and being streamed daily. It is not only multinational companies that want to recycle other peoples’ work. The Manchester-based Northern Ballet plans to use recorded rather than live music on their tours this year. The MU has launched a campaign to prevent this from happening and keep orchestra members in a job. This involved demonstrations in both Nottingham and Newcastle. With what effect remains to be seen.
One notable recent feather in the MU’s cap was at the BBC, where it played an important role in mobilising the widespread campaign to save the BBC Singers from closure. Efforts to prevent a 20 per cent reduction in jobs at the BBC’s three English-based orchestras announced at the same time are continuing. Over in the Wales the MU is fighting against cuts to the country’s national opera company which are being imposed by the arts council because there are no operas in the Welsh language.
The MU actually has a seat on the Labour Party’s NEC, due to its union affiliation. That will endear them to the Government and the SNP administration in Edinburgh. The MU welcomed the fact that the last SNP budget boasted it was increasing expenditure on the arts by 100 per cent although the union complains that while the SNP have long been committed to all children having access to free music education “this hasn’t been rolled out fully”. What a surprise.
Getting money owed to musicians is often a struggle. Last year the MU’s Recording & Broadcasting team secured over £1.84 million of income due to musicians from recordings originally made under MU agreements. The MU claims this a success, but it is disgraceful that a union has to fight to secure such money rather than it being paid automatically.
Small specialist unions often provide advice and practical support for its members that the bigger unions do not. While many on the left correctly denounce unions for putting too much stress on cheap holiday offers, the MU’s specialist insurance for musical instruments is not to be sniffed at. It also offers advice on getting musical instruments with ivory components through Canadian customs; again a comparatively small point, but that is the sort of practical advice which assists union members.