Workers at Brixton’s Ritzy cinema will today (13 December) began another session of strikes in their campaign for the London Living Wage of £10.20 an hour, employment rights and the reinstatement of sacked colleagues.
Their trade union BECTU said that the continued failure of employer Picturehouse to engage with union members over their claim for the Living Wage means that more strikes will take place this week and over Christmas at other Picturehouse cinemas where workers are pursuing the same demands.
“We have always known that the company’s resistance to doing the right thing was never about affordability,” said a spokesperson.
He said this has been demonstrated recently by parent company Cineworld’s planned takeover of the Regal cinema chain in the United States.
BECTU members at Picturehouse Central, Crouch End Picturehouse, East Dulwich Picturehouse and the Ritzy will begin strike action at 10pm today which will run until 3am on Friday 15 December.
Members at the Hackney Picturehouse will be on strike from 8.30pm on Wednesday 13 December to 3am on Friday 15 December.
At Christmas itself, members at Picturehouse Central, Crouch End Picturehouse, East Dulwich Picturehouse and Hackney Picturehouse will be on strike from 6am on 24 December to 5am on 25 December and again from 6am on 26 December to 5am on 27 December.
Gerry Morrissey, head of BECTU, told his members: “It remains unacceptable that your employer continues to refuse to negotiate with your trade union, and continues to reject any initiatives to resolve the dispute. It is this intransigence which has forced members into this campaign of strike action.”
