Curtain drops on jobs at theatre

A UNION criticised the managers of Cork Opera House last night after job cuts were announced just weeks after a staff pay rise was agreed.

Three staff members were served with protective notice this week just two months after SIPTU negotiated pay rises across the board for all theatre staff.

SIPTU last night accused Opera House director Gerry Barnes of treating staff of the publicly funded theatre “callously”.

“He did not have the honesty to tell us about this move when we were negotiating the pay rise,” union official Bill Mulcahy said.

“It is offensive in the extreme to any right-thinking person.

“Staff were told of the pay rise in June and are now being told in August that their jobs are gone.”

Mr Mulcahy called for the withdrawal of the protective notice. He also called on Cork City Council to intervene.

Theatre management confirmed that they have placed three staff members on protective notice.

The move follows a decision to close the theatre’s ground floor cafe during the day, and to close its reception and information desk, they said.

A number of part-time positions will also be lost.

Mr Barnes said the job cuts were unavoidable.

“It is with great regret that we have had to discuss with three members of staff the problems we have encountered,” he said.

It is understood the cafe, had racked up considerable losses in recent years.

Although it broke even last year, the Capital of Culture year, losses in previous years are estimated to have been running at up to €7,000 a year.