Workers at Brixton’s Ritzy Cinema have branded the threat of redundancies as ‘retribution’ following their successful campaign for staff to be paid the London living wage.
Employees of the cinema, owned by the company Picturehouse, campaigned to earn a salary calculated on the basic cost of living in London — going on strike numerous times before an agreement was reached.
However, Ritzy staff have now received letters threatening redundancies which they say betrays a pledge in the agreement to “restore good will” and states that jobs would be lost through “natural wastage”.
The Ritzy Living Wage Campaign told Londonist:
“The proposals by Picturehouse to cut more than 20 staff at the Ritzy Cinema, amounting to around a quarter of the workforce, seems to be a case of retribution for the recent campaign to secure a Living Wage at the Ritzy.
“No other site is looking to restructure. No other site is having redundancies. It seems like we are being punished for trying to fight for a wage we can actually live on."
In response, Picturehouse Cinemas sent us a statement which said:
"The new General Manager at The Ritzy has been tasked with improving many areas of The Ritzy’s performance. This includes taking a fresh look at the staffing structures to consider whether a new structure will lead to an improvement in the consistency of customer service."
Image from A Living Wage for Ritzy Staff Facebook page
