Workers at The Ritzy, the Picturehouse Cinema in Brixton, South London, have been striking over the company's refusal to pay staff the London Living Wage.
The company likes to portray itself as progressive and radical, nurturing independent talent and the arts — yet nothing could be further from the truth. Picturehouses sold to Cineworld in 2012, netting Managing Director Lyn Goleby £9 million, and the group made £31 million in profits. Yet they say they cannot afford to pay a living wage to their staff.
This week, the company declared war on workers at The Ritzy by pulling out of peace talks with their union BECTU and imposing a 4% pay deal unilaterally, leaving their wages below the poverty line in the most expensive city in the world. Almost all Picturehouse staff are paid below the poverty line.
As a result, BECTU has called for a national boycott of Picturehouse Cinemas until they resolve the dispute and agree a deal with workers at The Ritzy.
The sixth strike day, on Saturday 7 June, saw solidarity actions at Picturehouse Cinemas elsewhere in London. Actor, documentary maker, and one-time footballer Eric Cantona joined the Brixton Ritzy workers as they protested outside the Hackney Picturehouse cinema.
Ritzy workers have received a lot of support and solidarity from other workers in the local area. They’ve received solidarity visits from striking college workers, local government workers, transport workers and firefighters. Workers at Lambeth Living, the Housing ALMO, responded to an article in their staff newsletter urging staff take advantage of reduced prices at the Brixton Ritzy Cinema, with a letter calling on people to join the boycott of Picturehouse.
AWL members and supporters gave out hundreds of leaflets in solidarity with the Brixton strikers outside Greenwich Picturehouse. We turned many cinema-goers away and a number asked for their money back for pre-paid tickets.
Follow the strike website here, or on Facebook here, and on Twitter at @RitzyLivingWage.
