ROH dispute goes to ACAS
Management at the Royal Opera House have referred a victimisation row to ACAS.
Their decision came after BECTU issued an ultimatum threatening strike action in support of a suspended shop steward.
Last week 80% of members at the ROH voted in favour of industrial action, in a dispute which started when management attacked the union activities of BECTU's ROH branch secretary.
Plans for strikes have been postponed to allow a meeting between BECTU and the ROH on April 25, at which ACAS conciliators will attempt to hammer out an agreement.
However, the union still has a mandate from members at the Opera House to call strikes if no agreement is reached.
Press Information
Attention of arts and entertainments plus labour, industrial correspondents
Thursday 11 April 2001
Without embargo
Royal Opera House workers welcome conciliation talks
The theatre union BECTU has welcomed a decision by the management at the Royal Opera House to accept their invitation to return to ACAS for conciliation talks aimed at resolving a dispute over the victimisation of the union's branch secretary.
The employer's decision followed an 80 per cent strike vote by BECTUmembers.
The two sides have agreed to meet at ACAS on 25 April.
Strike action needs to commence within four weeks of the date of the ballot result. This means that if talks are unsuccessful, strike action will commence before 4 May.
Gerry Morrissey, assistant general secretary of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union said "We hope that these talks will be successful but this will depend on the management's attitude. "We hope that the new director Tony Hall will bring home to the management a sober recognition that, as a publicly funded body, the Opera House cannot afford to wage war on its workers' trade union. "Meanwhile BECTU members at the ROH are making preparations to do whatever is necessary to prevent the victimisation of their elected branch secretary."
Contact: BECTU press officer Nick Wright on 020 7437 8506 mobile 0976 943514
Gerry Morrissey on 020 7437 8506 or mobile 07850 317866
Information for editors
A mass meeting of ROH BECTU members at Covent Garden had - in February - unanimously instructed leaders of BECTU to ballot them for industrial action if the company turned down an offer of ACAS arbitration over the victimisation of their elected workplace representative.
The employers subsequently agreed to arbitration but then repudiated the agreement reached at ACAS and insisted on continuing the disciplinary action.
The present strike vote was in response to this.