Staff at the huge national cinema chain Cineworld say many of them have lost their jobs or had their pay docked by 60% after the company shut its movie houses due to the coronavirus emergency.
The newly formed Cineworld Action Group is fighting for what is sees as a fair deal for the chain鈥檚 12,000 海角视频 workers, most of whom, they say are uncertain where their next pay packet is coming from.
Group members said anyone who had been employed by the company for less than 18 months was sent home on 鈥渇urlough鈥 and told to apply for 80% of their pay under the Government鈥檚 new Job Retention Scheme, until the cinemas can reopen.
Those employed for between 18 months and three years have been made redundant, the group said, and long-term workers have had pay stripped back to 40% of their salary.
Cineworld is the 海角视频鈥檚 largest cinema chain by market share and has 99 multiplexes, with an additional 26 鈥渂outique鈥 Picturehouse cinemas.
An action group spokesperson said Cineworld had ditched 80% of the workforce, all barring managers being on zero-hours contracts, as soon as it became evident they were going to have to close.
Cineworld chief executive Mooky Greidinger wrote to all staff members saying the firm is looking at the implications of the Job Retention Scheme, and the firm now says it is 鈥 reviewing this and assessing what help we are able to give鈥 workers.
But staff are still angry and 550 have already signed an open letter to Mr Greidinger and the action group has opened a Twitter page.
An action group spokesperson said: 鈥淲e are calling on Cineworld to reinstate any staff member and pay a minimum of 80% to all staff.
鈥淲e want Cineworld to make use of the measures the Government has put in place. We are losing our income which means we can鈥檛 afford essentials like rent and food. That鈥檚 not a good situation for anyone to be in.
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鈥淲e want Cineworld to act with more compassion. They were quick to sack us and we have no confidence we will be paid during this, and we still don鈥檛 have any confidence that our jobs will be reinstated.鈥
Cineworld made a across its global activities. A company spokesperson said: 鈥淲e made a number of offers to our employees last week including partial payments until we are able to re-open cinemas.
鈥淔ollowing the Government鈥檚 announcement on Friday evening around the support they are now offering the leisure industry, including cinemas and their employees, we have written to our staff to let them know that we are currently reviewing this and assessing what help we are able to give them. We are doing this as quickly as possible and will be updating our employees soon.鈥
