The majority of Paris Opera ballet dancers voted to strike during the performance of Paquita Friday 6 December at the Opéra Bastille, we learned from the CGT and the management, due to negotiations “in an impasse“, according to the union, on remuneration for preparation time.
“Due to a strike followed by a large majority of ballet dancers, the performance of Paquita of this December 6 is canceled“, the management confirmed to AFP. Thursday evening, the premiere performance had been canceled, while the spectators were in the room, the management evoking a “ballet dancers work stoppage“.
For Matthieu Botto, CGT central delegate and dancer in the company, whose action the union had covered by a strike notice, it was “to illustrate a fundamental problem“. According to him, discussions started since February 2023 with the management stumble on the subject of “reassessment of preparation time specific to all artistic activities” dancers.
It’s about the time needed”hair, makeup, warm-up, approximately 1h30 to 2h” per show, he detailed. “Currently, 6 hours are taken into account“in the artists’ remuneration each month.”However, we carry out on average 30“, he believes.
Lack of progress, according to him, on Wednesday, “the ballet decided collectively, the day before the premiere, to strictly comply with the official convocation time set by their management, i.e. 30 minutes before the start of the performances, informing the management of a delay (of) 1h30 for Paquita,” he explained.
Questioned on Friday, the management of the public establishment told AFP that it had, “for two years, granted substantial measures to improve the organization of working time and the salaries of dancers. We have made additional proposals in recent weeks. We have made progress“.
“In the context where we do not have a government, we cannot commit ourselves any further, given the constraints of the Opera and what we must also be able to plan for other categories of employees.s,” management added.We are open at any time to continue negotiating so that this situation lasts as short as possible.“
