Row deepens at Opera House

Industrial action now looks likely in the ROH victimisation dispute.

BECTU has given notice to management at the Opera House that two strike ballots are to be run among union members at Covent Garden.

The ballots, one among permanent staff, and another among casuals, follow the collapse of talks over union claims that a shop steward had been victimised by management.

Senior union officials were stunned after a day of conciliation talks at ACAS when ROH management representatives announced that, in spite of progress in the discussions, they still planned to force the steward to attend a disciplinary interview.

Accusing management of a volte-face, the union side concluded the talks and began planning the industrial action ballots.

A meeting of members on March 9 supported the decision to ballot - a previous ballot had been postponed at the last moment to allow the ACAS talks to proceed.

Two separate ballots are necessary in light of legal advice to the union that a combined vote among casuals and permanent staff could be challenged by the management.

The row over victimisation began when the shop steward was confronted by management with a dossier complaining about his union activities.

PRESS INFORMATION FROM BECTU

Without embargo Friday 9 March 2001

Attention of arts and entertainment correspondents plus labour and industry correspondents

Royal Opera House victimisation

Conciliation talks to resolve the dispute between union members and the temporary management at the Royal Opera House over the victimisation of the BECTU branch secretary have broken down.

Workers at Covent Garden last month unanimously instructed leaders of the broadcasting, entertainment, cinema and theatre union to ballot them for industrial action if the company turned down an offer of ACAS conciliation.

BECTU assistant general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: "The two sides reached complete agreement on the need to set up a standing liaison committee to deal with day-to-day problems and resolve collective bargaining issues.

"We were encouraged by the acceptance � by acting executive director John Seekings � of a programme of training for both management and workplace union representatives. These things are both necessary and long overdue. If it had been in place this conflict may have been averted.

"BECTU members and friends of the Royal Opera House will be very disappointed to learn that John Seekings is not prepared to abandon the attempt to victimise our elected workplace representative. He has closed off a good opportunity to resolve this matter without industrial action.

"The Board of the ROH must understand that they cannot allow their managers to conduct industrial relations in a publicly funded enterprise as if it is amateur night."

ENDS

• Note to editors.
  This is the second attempt by elements in the management of the ROH to discipline a BEC TU workplace representative.

  John Seekings is the acting executive director of the ROH and is Director of Operations.

  Further information from Nick Wright BECTU Press Office 020 7437 8506 Mobile 0976 943514 e mail [email protected]
  111 Wardour Street London W1F 0AY

  
  Gerry Morrissey 0785 0317866 BECTU assistant general secretary
  Willie Donaghy 07778859697 BECTU theatres supervisory official