Macy Gray concert at Arts Centre cancelled as staff prepare to strike

A concert by Grammy-winning singer Macy Gray at Hamer Hall has been cancelled due to a proposed 24-hour strike by workers at Arts Centre Melbourne.

Friday night’s scheduled performances of theatre show GRIMM and dance work Burn the Floor: Luminous in the Arts Centre’s theatres building have also been cancelled because of the planned industrial action.

Hamer Hall will be closed all day on Friday and the Arts Centre Melbourne car park “scaled back” for “safety reasons” as a result of the industrial action from 12.01am on Friday, which will include a picket line in the afternoon and public rally in the evening.

An Arts Centre spokesperson said ticket holders were being notified about the disruption to shows and that a new date would be announced for Gray’s performance.

“We will contact ticket holders directly, and thank them for their patience.

“Once confirmed, a new date will be announced and all ticket holders to the cancelled performance will be contacted directly.”

Arts Centre Melbourne is Australia’s largest performing arts complex.

Staff who are members of the Community and Public Sector Union and the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance are taking protected industrial action as part of a dispute over pay.

The unions say that nearly 40 per cent of the Arts Centre workforce is on the lowest pay band – band 1 – many of whom are paid the minimum award wage.

Staff were offered a 3 per cent increase this year, limited due to a wage cap imposed by the state government. The unions said the offer did not keep up with inflation and was effectively a pay cut.

Asked if the negotiations with the union would restart this week, before Friday’s strike, the Arts Centre spokesperson said: “We respect the right of workers to take protected industrial action, and we’re working closely with our team and their unions to progress a new agreement.”

The unions and Macy Gray’s management have been contacted for comment.

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