Talks
to resolve a dispute between union members and temporary management at the
Royal Opera House have collapsed.
The
dispute is over the victimisation of a BECTU branch secretary.
Last
month, staff at Convent Garden instructed BECTU to ballot them for industrial
action if the opera house’s management turned down the offer of Acas
conciliation.
BECTU
accused the Royal Opera House’s acting executive director of continuing to
victimise its union representative.
“John
Seekings [the acting executive director] 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,” said Gerry
Morrissey, BECTU’s assistant general secretary.
He
added, “The Board of the opera house must understand that they cannot allow
their managers to conduct industrial relations in a publicly funded enterprise
as if it is amateur night,” said BECTU’s assistant general secretary.
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