At the Rouen Opera, anger over low wages takes center stage
Since the end of September, the employees of the Opera have been mobilizing for salary increases, while the management refuses to discuss the bases of the strikers: not an income lower than 1,800 euros.
The establishment has around a hundred permanent employees (musicians, technicians, administrative staff), a workforce reinforced by numerous intermittent performers and temporary workers, with an average over the year of 300 employees per month within the walls. Many of them are struggling with very small salaries and, with galloping inflation, they are no longer doing well.
“For the end of low wages”
On August 1, the majority union UNSA/SNEA signed the NAO granting between 0.5 and 4.1% increase depending on the category and a “Macron” bonus between 200 and 600 euros, a bonus that neither intermittent workers nor fixed-term contracts to touch. The other representative union, Sud Culture, refuses to sign. Under his leadership, a first general meeting of all categories of staff met on the occasion of the interprofessional strike day of September 29. This one votes the participation of the employees of the Opera in the Rouen demonstration behind a large black banner on which are painted in white the words: “Rouen Opera, for the end of low wages”. This is the beginning of a movement still ongoing today, punctuated by regular general meetings, called by all the unions on the site (UNSA, South, FO, CGT) and which elect over time representatives leads.
Nearly 80 strikers
On October 18 and 27, the Opera once again swells the ranks of interprofessional events. Meanwhile, the anger rises a notch when the management refuses to guarantee the non-withdrawal of wages for those who cannot come to work for lack of fuel because of the strikes in the refineries. Friday, November 4, following the filing of three strike notices by Sud, CGT and FO, the first performance of one of the operas of the season is canceled. Nearly 80 striking employees gather at a general meeting at the time scheduled for the performance. Leaflets are distributed explaining the reason for the mobilization to the overwhelmingly supportive public, the question of salaries which are not enough to live on being nevertheless the subject of the moment for the vast majority of the population.
At the Rouen Opera, the demands are clear: no salary below 1,800 euros net and indexation of salaries to inflation! The management categorically refusing to discuss on these bases which it considers “irresponsible and irresponsible”, new strikes have already been received. And the need for all the other places of culture in the region and beyond to also get into the fight is on everyone’s mind.