Opera workers get 8%

Technical, production and cleaning staff at Glyndebourne Opera have received an 8% pay rise under a new two-year, single-stage deal negotiated last month by entertainment union BECTU.

“It is very unusual to have such a good pay rise front-loaded,” commented BECTU arts and entertainment supervisory official Willy Donaghy. He added that the settlement, which runs until December 2009, had been made possible by the “well organised and disciplined branch” at Glyndebourne.