Phoenix Dance Theatre must immediately meet with Equity and agree to reverse lay offs of dancers in Leeds, leaving them on less than £100 a month to survive.
Phoenix management must also immediately stop trade union victimisation and asking Equity members at the theatre to identify themselves.
Why is this important?
Yesterday Phoenix Theatre management confirmed they will be ending fixed-term contracts for some dancers and ‘laying off’ their permanently employed dancers for seven months.
Lay offs would allow Phoenix to keep dancers in employment but pay them only £100 a month until they are needed at work again, whilst severely limiting their chances of taking on other work.
After Equity objected to this decision, Phoenix management wrote to all employees demanding that any Equity members identify themselves, in a clear breach of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act.
Phoenix Dance Theatre has recently been in receipt of millions of pounds of public funding from the Arts Council and Leeds City Council, among others. They have the money to treat their creative team with the respect they deserve.
How it will be delivered
By hand to the Managing Director
