edphstaff

dbboy, 'Living wage - can't answer that, suggest you speak with your manager'. that's the issue really, all the other benefits are negligible when it comes to paying rent. management wont listen to us and have refused to negotiate with us about it for over two years. that's why we've had to go on strike Mick Mac, I think that is a fair question. PH's nearest competitor in terms of size and target audience etc. would be Curzon and they pay their staff the london living wage. Also fully independent places pay the LW too, for example the ArtHouse in Crouch End do, it's one door away from the PH Crouch End. Even if Curzon or others didn't pay the living wage I don't think that would stop us demanding it. PH made over ?90m in post-tax profit last year. We are asking for a pay rise of a few pence per hour. rendelharris and johnL thanks for your continued support. I'd also like to point out that when you're carrying out calculations about our annual incomes that most of the staff are on zero-hour contracts. Cinemas are quite seasonal so there's lots of hours going around now as oscar films come out and up to Christmas with Star Wars and big blockbusters. In the new year and the summer there's a lot less need for staff. This summer the most I could make, working all the hours I could get and taking the shifts of other staff on holiday was take home ?800 a month. My rent is ?500 a month so we are not left with much. When you factor annual income would be about ?11-12,000 a year. Some weeks I work 40 hours, some weeks 20. We take what we are given and save for the quieter months. Also I think it's worth saying that we work with staff with young children to support.

these are our bonuses and i'd just like to point out a few facts about each one: *Membership bonus adding between 10 and 25p to each hour worked (excludes Ritzy) -we are told this figure is on average and we've never seen where they get this from but it's certainly not what turns up on most of our payslips each month. also when someone renews online or by direct debit we get no bonus. PH have heavily incentivised this over the last few months and we've noticed a loss in bonuses *Paid breaks. So staff working an 8 hour shift, are paid for 8 hours but only work 7.5 -we are still on fire evacuation duty when we are 'on break' so we have to be there, walkietalkie by our side. we are occasionally allowed to leave the building to go to the shop if there are enough other staff present and the manager says so. so although we are allowed to sit down to eat it's hardly a real break. both the living wage foundation and the law in the UK say breaks aren't supposed to be included in hourly pay calculations anyway. *Membership to The Forum - an official, recognised staff union with bargaining rights -the staff reps that work for this are paid by Picturehouse. they are not interested in our problems and over 300 staff have opted to join an independent union (BECTU) out of their own pocket *Statutory paternity, pension, sick and holiday pay -they are legally required to give us this, the bare minimum even though they made over ?90m in post-tax profit last year. we are only entitled to these after having worked at the company for over a year. one of our co-workers had been working full-time for eight months, got very sick and had to take out a loan to pay their rent. that's not right. *Unlimited Cineworld and Picturehouse Cinema tickets (subject to availability) -we can have these only at the last minute if the film isn't sold out. so it costs the company nothing, the seats are empty anyway. having said that, we are grateful for this and it's the only reason many of us still work at PH but as others have kindly mentioned here, seeing these films is part of our job. we are expected to be able to talk to customers about them. that's the whole point of an 'arthouse' cinema, or so we are told. *Two tickets per week for guests -same as above. also because it's last minute it's not very practical to invite two of our friends to come travel to meet us after work if it's going to sell out. *Free eye tests (for those using screens) *Cycle to work scheme *Free popcorn, soft drinks and hot drinks -these are all minor things and don't exactly help us pay our expensive london rents or student debt *30% off all food and beverages -the company still makes a profit on this reduction. most of the staff can't afford to eat at work even with 30% off and just bring a packed lunch or dinner from home *Late night working allowance -in terms of ED we get ?6 extra total if we have to stay in past midnight. our shifts are all supposed to end at 23.45 so this doesn't happen and managers often rush us so they don't have to pay us this. we are lucky to get it once a month but this depends on what shifts you do. and if our 'effective pay' is ?9.65 why wouldn't the company just match the living wage? it's because 'effective pay' is not what we get or are guaranteed. depending on late night bonuses and having to work when you're ill is no way to live a dignified life when you're working for a company that makes tens of millions in post-tax profit

Foxy, nostalgia isn't what it used to be!

Hey Mick Mac - yes it was tongue in cheek. sorry for being unclear, this stuff is all quite grim sometimes so we try and keep a sense of humour about it all. and thanks for your kind words! we have put a lot of work in to this and it really does matter to us. we like to think of it as being symbolic for all those who are underpaid by super rich companies that could afford to pay us more here's an article with your info: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2017/07/picturehouse-cinema-strikes-are-becoming-emblematic-battle-workers-rights if you'd like some more info please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/edphlivingwage/ or tweet or email picturehouse saying you don't approve of how they treat us

KalamityKel, the kids films aren't the most profitable for the company and we'd rather not disappoint kids so young that they don't choose where they go to watch a film so we try to avoid them we also have to work to pay rent etc so we can't strike all day etc fishbiscuits, thanks for your reply and yeah i guess we just have different approaches to the issue as of yet no one has been sacked for not breaking the law! we are really delighted with this positive outcome here's some more press coverage for those that are interested: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/actor-andy-serkis-backs-cinema-workers-protest-for-better-wages-at-his-film-premiere-a3650906.html https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/02/picturehouse-threatens-to-sack-striking-workers-in-dispute-over-pay https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/04/picturehouse-staff-protest-over-pay-at-start-of-london-film-festival https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/10/picturehouse-threatening-sack-workers-striking-over-living-wage

Hi Fishbiscuits, the staff aren't walking out until about 3pm this Saturday so the kids films should be fine By 'don't support them' we do mean a total boycott. however, if you don't agree with this but still agree with our campaign we'd ask you not to enter the cinema when we are on strike after 3.30 on saturday and at other times over the next two weeks We usually try to strike after the most popular kids film times at weekends whenever we can as we don't exactly like to upset them either We do not know if the cinema will be open once we walk out. Management don't tell us, they often hire strike breakers and then again sometimes they don't and they just shut the cinema. You'd have to ask them JohnL, Helen has supported our strike wonderfully and made a speech at a demo at ED a few months ago She also raised the issue in PMQs and the PM had a funny response to say the least https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2017/07/picturehouse-cinema-strikes-are-becoming-emblematic-battle-workers-rights thanks for your support!

Picturehosue don't pay their staff a living wage and are on strike soon! Don't support them https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/02/picturehouse-threatens-to-sack-striking-workers-in-dispute-over-pay

Our local Labour MP Helen Hayes has promised to come to our picket on Saturday and say a few words She's been really supportive of our campaign so far and has previously put forward a motion in the house of commons arguing that Picturehouse workers should be paid the living wage http://www.brixtonblog.com/mp-helen-hayes-back-ritzy-?/43199

thank you all for the supportive comments, please come down and talk to us on the day of the strike, we'd love to meet you yeah greengoose you seem to be obsessed with the idea of the law, if something is legal then it is fine with you. can you possibly think of one law ever in the recent past that in hindsight was wrong? perhaps we believe the current share of profits to be a law that should be changed. we are not asking for a radical overhaul of the system, just less than a pound more per hour and yeah PH/cineworld said they'd talk with us and our union after we spoke at their shareholders AGM and we are really looking forward to this. we offered to call of this strike as a gesture of goodwill but they have so far declined to formally respond to our offer

we are going on strike at ED Picturehouse again we ask supportive members of the public not to buy tickets for any time on saturday the 27th of may if you already have, you can get a refund up to 48hours before the film starts and we've had some great press: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/05/fight-living-wage-uk-170508130621113.html https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/18/picturehouse-staff-protest-cineworld-agm-living-wage-ritzy-hackney *PLEASE COME DOWN FOR 2.30pm TO GREET WORKERS AS THEY WALK OUT AT 2.45p* ------- EAST DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE WORKERS ARE GOING ON STRIKE! JOIN US OUTSIDE THE CINEMA ON SATURDAY THE 27TH TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! Picturehouse management have refused to pay us Living Wage, they have refused to recognise our chosen trade union, and they have refused to grant adequate sick pay, maternity and paternity pay. And what?s more, they have refused even to meet with us to discuss these matters. Regrettably, we have been left with no option but to withdraw our labour. Join us from 2.15 right opposite the cinema where there?ll be music, speeches, a whole bunch of people venting their anger at a company that made ?93.8 million post-tax profit and refuses to negotiate sharing this fairly. The campaign started last year with just one cinema, The Ritzy in Brixton, and now there are 6 cinemas striking together at East Dulwich on the day. The movement is growing but we need your help. This time, due to the other 5 sites renewing their ballot, it will be only East Dulwich on strike so we need as much support as possible. So please invite friends and share this event! There may well be a trip to the pub after too. See you on Saturday the 27th!

our community demo was really successful yesterday - thanks to all those who took part and the customers who didn't go in or got a refund. we will be organising another strike quite soon and i'll keep you posted about it on this or you can email [email protected] also thanks for the supportive comments here. as for the rest, we wish you the best of luck.

Thanks so much for your support. Here's the facebook event link if you wish to share it with anyone: https://www.facebook.com/events/199472583899752/ Due to restrictions around picketing from the new Trade Union Act and our union, East Dulwich Picturehouse will be unable to picket their workplace tomorrow while their on strike all day. So we're asking for supportive members of the public to spend a few hours leafleting ED Picturehouse while the striking staff are at the rally in central. The plan is to meet outside the Lord Plamerston (91 Lordship Lane) at 2.45, hand out flyers and talk to the public until about 7pm. Come down whenever you can! There'll be some refueling in the pub too. Please invite any friends that might be interested Thank you all so much!

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Our next strike is on MAY DAY, Monday 1st May! The strike lasts all day and we ask everyone not to go to our cinema that day. While we will be off in central london protesting and picketing, supportive members of the community have stepped up to protest our site on our behalf! Join the facebook group bellow if you want to get involved and help us out! Along with strikers from Hackney, Crouch End, the Ritzy and Central Picturehouses we'll be heading to the May Day rally in Trafalgar Square, and speaking alongside John McDonnell MP! If you're in the area, come down and have a chat and pop a donation in one of our buckets! Towards the end of the rally, at 4pm, we'll be marching to Picturehouse Central to protest in support of A Living Wage for Picturehouse Central Staff who will be picketing. Let's celebrate May Day in style! https://www.facebook.com/groups/slondonsupportsPHstrikers/

they wont do this because they know a) the LLW is expected to rise over time (in line with the cost of living) and b) the cause is about a lot more than the LLW. it's about maternity, paternity, sick pay and proper union recognition.

Staff are walking out at 1pm The official picket will go on til about 4pm The strike technically lasts all day and we ask supportive members of the public not to enter the cinema for the rest of the day. If you've already bought tickets you can ask for a refund. thanks for all the support so far

You will all be the first to know as soon as I loose my job!

Our requests: ? A London Living Wage (currently ?9.75/hr) ? Recognition of the BECTU sector of Prospect at East Dulwich Picturehouse and other PH cinemas ? Fair pay rises for supervisors, managers, chefs, sound technicians & projectionists ? Company sick pay for all staff ? Company maternity/paternity/ adoption pay for all staff ? The option of fixed term contracts I take your point about using the examples of other places that pay the LLW and where similar work is done. This would probably be more appealing to the public. We are currently working on a map of London that shows cinemas that pay the conditions we are asking for. It's not complete yet but the BFI, ArtHouse and Barbican are on it. I think a company that makes ?93.8 million post-tax profit a year can pay the LLW. We've made a very rough calculation and we think they could still make ?90m post-tax profit and pay us. For all of us involved this movement isn't just about us. It's about all workers, especially those on the lower end. Some people have to work jobs that pay badly all their lives and they should be given the opportunity to have a family. People should not have to go to work ill out of a fear of missing their rent payments. It's about justice and a more equal distribution of income towards a fairer society. The RSC staff asked to be paid the LLW. The company said no. They joined BECTU (our union) and reps from the union negotiated with the company and an agreement to pay the living wage was reached before any strike took place. We tried this, as i said earlier: "The Living Staff Living Wage campaign began in 2014 where the Ritzy won a 26% pay rise and an agreement to re-negotiate towards the Living Wage in June 2016. The company back-tracked on this agreement and refuse to negotiate at all". Since then the company have refused to meet union reps. We would much rather achieve our aims the easy way but we feel we have been left with no option. Seven months on, there are now 6 sites striking and more joining soon. What do you think we should do instead?

Sorry if this is in bold, i don't mean to make it look like i'm shouting! dbboy, as i've said before when i and my colleagues took the job we were aware of our power to change the terms of employment. we've already gotten a pay increase and we are going to keep going until our original demand of the LLW is met. The strike does affect head office. If a cinema is closed it affects profit. And some of the managers will be on the picket line with us. For those managers that are not, the point is to cause a disruption. It's a strike. If we close the cinema, get the attention of the public and hurt PH's profits and reputation that's a win for us. LLW is the end goal. You say we should try meeting management. If you had read what I posted earlier they have refused to meet with our chosen union for over a year. This is why we feel the need to strike. I am repeating myself here. JoeLeg, i should have been clearer about the maternity/paternity pay, sorry. I don't think it explains how bad that support is. As I've said before comparing the pay of one under paid worker to another isn't of interest to us but if you insist one cinema that provides what we are asking for is the ArtHouse in Crouch End and the Royal Shakespeare Company front of house staff. The RSC got these demands by joining the union we are part of...

Dbboy: It's telling that under the heading of "Sick Pay, Holiday, Pension, Maternity and Paternity " you've copied and pasted there is no mention of Maternity and Paternity pay. As I've said before sick pay only applies to those that have worked at the company for more than a year (about five members of front of house at our site)and unfortunately people sometimes get sick before 12 months in their new job has passed. JoeLeg: I completely agree with you about zero-hour contracts and think anyone who has a job should be able to afford to raise a family. On that reason alone would you not support our strike? El Presidente: The cinema will be open as normal until 1pm when we walk out. In terms of turnout on the day, only time will tell but no more than 50 people I'd say. Beyond that we are not sure if the cinema will remain open. Other sites in the past have shut down their cinema and some have remained open. As our site is quite small this would be easy to do with say three managers opposed to the strike and the strike breakers PH have been hiring only to cover strikes over the last few months. If the cinema does remain open we ask supportive members of the public not to cross the picket line for the rest of the day and if they've already purchased tickets to ask for a refund

Again, you're justifying what we perceive to be one inequality based on another. Perhaps we will not be able to get passed this point. Also, there is no provision for sick pay. What do you expect a member of staff to do if they are ill for three weeks and can't pay rent? Just not get sick? What if they were to have a child? Or do people on zero-hour contacts, of which there are almost 1m in the UK, not deserve to have children?

"whomever it is accessing this very public forum to very publicly attack their employer. Most, if not all companies would consider that a sackable offense, btw" We are going on strike, it's hardly a surprise to our employer. We told them two weeks ago, as we are legally required to do. We also get legal advice from our union and this is all absolutely fine. thanks for your concern though

I don't know in much detail to be honest. The London Living Wage is what we think should be the minimum pay to anyone in London. It's calculated as what you need to live a decent life here. We think it should be the starting point and any harder or more demanding work etc after that should be paid more above this rate. The idea that someone gets paid less than you for doing something similar isn't really interesting to us. If someone gets paid ?6.50 an hour we think that's unfair. We don't believe that justifying one inequality based on another is a compelling argument.

I don't know the total cost of their overheads, no. I do know that they own the building they are in in East Dulwich and have recently purchased the old Irish Shop next door in order to expand, most likely in to a private screening room. What we do know, however, is that Cineworld made post tax profits of ?83.3 million in 2015 and in figures just announced yesterday, made ?93.8 million post tax profit for 2016. I also think it's safe to assume Peckhamplex are making a profit on their tickets, they've been open and charging the same price for years. JoeLeg, as i've said before, Curzon is a suitable comparison and they pay the living wage... And thanks for the support 'uptheworkers'! come down on the day to support us!

We deliberately chose to start the protest at 1pm so that those attending the Peppa Pig movie showing at 12.15pm could go in and enjoy it and we could tell them about our issues on the way out. To geobz, I and most of the staff do vote for a party different to the current lot in power. 'The Picturehouse seems to be doing whatever is within its legal rights as a company'. Just because it's the legal right of a company to do something doesn't mean a) it morally right or b) that we should just accept it because it's the law and the law is always right as you're suggesting. we are also doing what is legally our right as workers. maybe you think that makes it right then or if not maybe we agree? but just saying it's the law and therefore it's ok is not really an interesting argument. Thanks to John for pointing out that it is possible to pay your staff the London Living Wage and remain profitable. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Otta, i joined the cinema knowing what the wages were and our power to change them. Through our campaigning we have already gained a 28p p/h increase. rendelharris, thanks for pointing out the obvious to Otta there. and yeah there's a few people that never have worked in the service industry and certainly can't imagine their kids ever doing so. the horror. stoo31 and titch juicy thanks for the support. geobz, 'Picturehouse is paying up salaries, staff is asking for way above service level salaries because... they think they deserve it. Thats not how the world works. And 0 hour contracts are legal, change jobs or keep doing it your choice.' We are asking to be paid the same as the nearest comparison, Curzon. 'Thats not how the world works' - you're justifying what we perceive to be one inequality based on another inequality which is a bad argument. Again you're assuming it's correct because it's the law. I'm sure i don't need to remind someone as well educated as yourself that there have been a lot of laws in the past that we now consider abhorrent. Rather than change jobs i have confidence in our power to change our current situation.