Redaccion
The workers’ committee of the Bilboko Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS) has filed two new strike calls with the Basque Government for April 30th and May 1st, which will coincide with the performances scheduled for the zarzuela ‘Mari-eli’ at the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao.
The call came after the assembly held this Tuesday, where the staff «overwhelmingly supported, with almost 85% of favorable votes, continuing with the strikes», which began on April 10th and 11th, as reported by union representatives.
These strikes were well-supported, «interrupting ongoing performances» and receiving «the support of the public» for their demands, something that the staff appreciated, along with the messages of solidarity received from 17 other orchestras across the country.
The committee, made up of UGT, ELA, and CCOO, emphasized that their demands «are not economic», but aim to «ensure decent working conditions that allow for sustaining the artistic quality of the orchestra, also looking out for the physical and mental health» of the workers.
«All of this to maintain their unwavering commitment to the audience of Bilbao and to their profession, music,» highlighted the committee, lamenting that the mobilizations were a result of «the lack of willingness» from the management to address the demands put forth, «blocking any progress through the 19 meetings held to date».
In fact, they explained, the first protests date back to June 2024 «and were only suspended with the promise of progress that never materialized».
Among other issues, the committee denounces that «positions lost years ago are still not being filled», leading to a gradual decline in the workforce and adding to the inadequate coverage of replacements, with unsustainable rotations, often on a weekly basis, which go against the artistic quality, in addition to not offering decent working conditions.
They also criticized the management for «ignoring the amount of individual preparation hours required for the profession and disregarding any proposals» from the worker representation at BOS, who «simply seek, ultimately, a real commitment to a public orchestra, stable, a cultural reference, and with decent working conditions».
