The Royal Opera House has cut its entire team of casual staff, as pressure mounts for the UK government’s emergency arts fund to be quickly rolled out after an estimated 3,000 job losses in the sector. ROH, which is in Covent Garden in London, did not confirm the number of job losses but said a voluntary redundancy process was also under way and that all casual contracts had been terminated. “It is with huge sadness that we have begun a restructure process,” the ROH tweeted. “The scale of financial pressure on ROH alongside continued restrictions on our ability to perform to live audiences, has resulted in this very difficult decision.” The ROH confirmed its chief executive, Alex Beard, had taken “a significant reduction in salary” and the music director, Sir Antonio Pappano, had waived his salary since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. Pappano earned a basic salary of £115,000 for the financial year 2016-17, with additional fees of more than £650,000. Beard told the Stage the “sad decision” had been made because of the financial pressure caused by the Covid-19 crisis, coupled with the continued restrictions on its ability to perform to live audiences. “The process has started with a call for voluntary redundancies and the termination of all casual contracts, with a consultation on proposals for changes affecting permanent members of staff due to commence shortly,” he added. The head of Bectu, Philippa Childs, said the trade union was urging ROH to reconsider the move in light of the government’s recently announced £1.57bn emergency arts fund aimed at preserving cultural institutions. Bectu has estimated there have been 3,000 job losses so far in the culture sector as a result of Covid-19. Childs said: “We are very aware that venues still have no income, and no prospect of ticket sales for the foreseeable future, but the government has announced a bailout package for theatre and the arts and on that basis we have urged the Royal Opera House to pause its redundancy and restructuring proposals.” The multi-discipline arts institution Home Manchester has said it is also making cuts, with about 10% of its staff expected to be made redundant. Jon Gilchrist, Home’s executive director, said that despite assistance from the furlough scheme and Arts Council England’s emergency relief fund, Home still had to reduce costs in many areas. He added: “While safeguarding as many jobs as possible is a priority, in order to ensure our survival and that we are able to respond to an unknown landscape ahead, we are currently at the beginning of a consultation process on redundancies which affects just under 10% of our staff, as well as a freeze on all but the most essential recruitment.” Earlier this week the Southbank Centre said 400 jobs were at risk, with two-thirds of its staff potentially being made redundant. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres is also planning redundancies.