The works council of the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu has filed a formal report with the Labour Inspectorate over the theatre’s decision to reschedule performances planned for Wednesday 11 November, the day of a general strike in Catalonia. The move, announced last week, shifts the opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi from 11 November to 12 November, along with the school performance Trencanous-jazz. The theatre has also rescheduled orchestra physiotherapy workshops to that day.
The institution cited concerns over mobility, security, and access due to minimum services and the planned strike actions as justification for the changes. A statement from the theatre, available on its official website, confirms the rescheduling of the 11 November performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi to 12 November at 7:30 pm, citing safety precautions and potential disruptions to travel and access (liceubarcelona.cat).
However, the works council, supported by the legal cooperative Col·lectiu Ronda, interprets the changes as a breach of the right to strike. They argue the move is designed to prevent the cancellation of public performances and thereby "neutralize the pressure capacity of the staff who decide to join the stoppage", according to a statement from Col·lectiu Ronda reported by Metrópoli Abierta.
Dispute Over Impact and Intent
The workers' representatives contend that by shifting public performances to a different date and placing an internal, mandatory activity on the strike day, the theatre is minimising the economic impact of the strike while avoiding the public disruption that would come with a cancellation. They argue this undermines the strike's effectiveness.
The movement reduces the economic impact that can have the strike on the cultural entity and schedules an activity for the day of the stoppage that is "mandatory in nature".
The social side, representing the employees, is demanding the restoration of the original schedule, even if this means cancelling the performances on 11 November. The Labour Inspectorate will now investigate whether the management's actions comply with labour law and the legal right to strike.
What It Means for the Audience
Patrons holding tickets for the 11 November performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi should note the show has been moved to Thursday 12 November at 7:30 pm. Tickets remain valid for the new date. Any issues can be addressed by contacting the subscription service via email at [email protected] or by phone at +34 93 485 99 13 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm).
Sources: Metrópoli, Web design, liceubarcelona.cat, Europa Press.
