Ritzy workers threatened with redundancy

On the picket line at the Ritzy

Laurence Maples

The Picturehouse cinema chain has threatened more than 20 redundancies at the Ritzy cinema. This comes just weeks after the Ritzy workers won a 26% pay rise through a long campaign of strike action.

It is a clear attempt to gut the union in revenge for the victory and the Ritzy workers have made it clear they intend to resist this attack. They have beaten Picturehouse once and with a clear programme of strike action can do it again.

They also point out that this does not arise out of financial necessity, as Picturehouse claim - it is a very profitable cinema chain and Ritzy is frequently the most profitable site.

The Ritzy workers and activists in Lambeth are already working together to develop a solidarity campaign and spread the movement against low pay, linking up with the work done by the Fast Food Rights campaign in the area.

Bullies

Picturehouse's bullying tactics are a reflection of how much the Ritzy workers have achieved. It also underlines the need for the drive to unionise other cinemas to continue, as part of a wider revolt on low pay.

The TUC has voted to support a Ł10 an hour minimum wage and should follow this up with coordinated strike action to win it, which could draw millions of workers into the unions and bring the bosses to their knees.

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