Employees of the Paris Opera began a strike on Thursday December 19 at the call of Sud Spectacle, which denounces services “bloodless” due to understaffing, leading to the cancellation of two performances.
Opera performances Rigoletto at the Opéra Bastille and ballet Play at Garnier on Thursday were therefore cancelled, “due to a strike followed by some of the staff of the Paris Opera”we could read on the Paris Opera website. Visits to the Palais Garnier were also canceled on Thursday.
Sud Spectacle, at the origin of the strike notice filed until December 31, denounces the reduction in the number of positions, a policy which “brings opera to its knees”, according to Régis Cochennec, from the Sud Spectacle house union.
The Paris Opera is subject to an employment ceiling, voted by Parliament, increased from more than 1,600 positions 10 years ago to 1,484 today, according to the unionist. But the Opera only has 1,459 jobs and 15 full-time equivalents must still be lost in the next two years, he points out, evoking a “under organized employment ceiling”.
“We ask at least to respect the employment ceiling”, explains Régis Cochennec, welcoming that “many services have been mobilized, whether technical, administrative or certain artists”.
The strikers also demand “the filling of all vacant positions since 2022”, according to the strike notice, consulted by an AFP journalist. “The various services are completely exhausted”describes Régis Cochennec, and “sick leave due to burn-out, safety problems, accidents are more and more numerous”.
Negotiations began with management today and the continuation of the movement must be decided by the employees on Friday morning, during the General Assembly.
Last week, a strike by dancers, this time over remuneration for preparation time before shows deemed insufficient, led to the cancellation of several performances.
