Photo: Zak Thomas
Workers at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton are likely to take strike action after BECTU union reps failed to reach an agreement over pay.
Ritzy staff currently earn £7.24 an hour at the cinema, run by Picturehouse Cinemas, and have been campaigning to earn the London Living Wage which is £8.80 an hour.
Luke Crawley, Assistant General Secretary of BECTU told South London Lines: ““I think the clue is in the name the living wage. Our members have to work in London, live in London, eat in London so they should be paid to do so.”
“London is a very expensive place to live – the Ritzy is a successful business and our members should be rewarded for helping to make it a success.”
“We will be balloting our members for two weeks from next Tuesday, and we’re confident that there will be a yes vote. The members will then decide when to take strike action.”
An official statement from Picturehouse Cinemas said: “We’ve actively been in discussions with BECTU about pay rates for ushers and bar staff at The Ritzy since last August.”
“In common with most Brixton employers we do not pay wages at this level for our front-line staff, but for over ten years we have paid substantially more than the national minimum wage.”
“We have always tried to be a fair employer that pays fair rates, and we are one of the highest paying employers in Brixton and in the cinema industry. We understand the principle of the living wage and we have been trying to negotiate a way to achieve this.”
“We cannot increase pay at a rate that could damage the wider Picturehouse group or cause job losses. We are on a journey to even better pay but we have many cinemas to take into account. It is important that everyone has their say, but industrial action will not speed up the process towards better pay for everyone – in fact it could well hinder our aims for this.”
A spokesperson for the Living Wage For Ritzy Staff campaign declined to talk to South London Lines whilst the dispute is still on going. However, the official campaign page on Facebook has accrued over 1000 likes, with residents posting on the page to show their support.
Brixton resident and regular at the Ritzy, Harry Stopes, 28, told South London Lines: “The Ritzy always seems to be busy, both in the screens and the bar areas – I bet they make a lot of money. They could easily afford to pay their staff a living wage I’m sure. Anyway, they should be doing that already – no one should have to work for a wage they can’t live on.”
Another regular at the Ritzy, James Bevan from Brixton, 29, also told South London Lines: “I can’t see why a cinema that sells tickets for over £10 – and is part of a group that’s making £30m a year can’t pay the living wage.”
Campaigners behind the Fair Wage For Ritzy Staff campaign have encouraged Ritzy customers to support them by sending emails to Picturehouse Cinemas, or sending messages of support to their official twitter handle @RitzyLivingWage.
