Crunch time
Ben Hillier explains how the financial sector’s response to inflation protects creditors and hurts the working class.
Back the sacked Goodlord strikers
The dispute in the referencing department of East London property services company Goodlord has entered a new phase after the firm sacked strikers in their 13th week of industrial action.
Retail tales of festive frenzy
For many bookshop workers, Christmas is a season of stress and exploitation – but it could also be the perfect time to put pressure on management.
Beauty and the Beast: why beauty industry workers should campaign for the Living Wage
Belle discusses the need for a campaign for the Living Wage in the beauty industry. In the spring budget speech Phil Hammond split his own party by announcing a rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed. Though he U-turned on the policy for middle and high-earning workers, the policy still threatens to impact […]
The Ritzy Strike’s Back
Picturehouse, and their owners Cineworld, must’ve thought they’d dodged a bullet when their staff pay dispute was settled two years ago… but the workers were just reloading. On Saturday (24 September) workers at the Ritzy in Brixton returned to strike action, demanding the London Living Wage, company sick pay for all, company maternity, paternity and adoption […]
Topshop targeted for victimisation of union activists
Photos by Steve Eason. On 14 May United Voices of The World organised a national protest at Topshop stores around the UK, calling for a living wage and trade union recognition. Over 100 people demonstrated in central London’s Oxford Street. We were joined by the SOAS cleaners, Class War, Ian Hodson from the Bakers and […]
Reject the deal – restart the strikes
Mark Boothroyd, a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital, on why health workers should restart the strikes for the sake of the NHS. This was originally posted on Mark’s blog. See also the Health Worker leaflet: Reject this rotten offer. Last week UNISON and UNITE’s leaderships voted to call off NHS strike action in response to an offer from the government. The […]
Picturehouse proposes redundancies at The Ritzy just six weeks after dispute ends
Six weeks after voting to accept a pay offer from Picturehouse Cinemas, workers at the Ritzy are being faced with over 20 potential redundancies. Arjun Mahadevan reports. Update, 2 November: Ritzy management have since withdrawn the threatened redundancies. On Thursday 23 October staff at The Ritzy cinema in Brixton, South London were called into a meeting […]
Living Workers, Dead Wages
by Luke Evans “And, it must be confessed, that although the adoption of the enlarged machinery, in that state of our commerce which the country once boasted, might have been beneficial to the master without being detrimental to the servant; yet, in the present situation of our manufactures, rotting in warehouses without a prospect of exportation, […]
Ritzy benefit video: “You don’t get me, I’m part of the union!”
Over a hundred people packed into The Grosvenor in Stockwell last night for the Ritzy strike benefit. The Ritzy workers have taken nine days of strike action so far and are looking to take more over the summer. The night began at 7pm and went on till the early hours with singing, dancing and bbq […]
Get organised! A guide from Ritzy and Curzon workers
In the past few months the strikes at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton and the growing campaign at Curzon cinema for the Living Wage have been an inspiration for those questioning how we can start to organise young workers or those on zero-hour contracts. Estelle Cooch sat down with Ritzy branch secretary Nia, Ritzy worker […]
Mark Steel, Francesca Martinez and Russell Brand back Ritzy campaign for Living Wage
Estelle Cooch reports from the seventh Ritzy strike day since April with support continuing to grow after Russell Brand and comedians Mark Steel and Francesca Martinez lent their backing to the campaign At the picket lines in Brixton workers were asking supporters to consider boycotting all Picturehouse cinemas. Many of the workers I spoke with made a […]
Behind the screens: an interview with two Curzon cinema workers
Ritzy workers in south London recently went on strike for the Living Wage, but they are by no means unique. Rs21 member, Estelle Cooch, caught up with two workers from Curzon cinemas and asked them to explain why everything is kicking off in the cinema industry. How did you get from an informal network of organising to […]
Ritzy strikers not giving in, not going away.
Ritzy workers were out on strike again yesterday evening, forcing the cinema to close, and the fun to come outside. Søren reports. Management are refusing to come back to negotiations on the Living Wage, so the strikes at the Ritzy continue. This was the third strike day in three weeks. The rumour is that Cineworld, who own […]
Enthusiastic strike for the London Living Wage
Rob Owen reports from Brixton: Workers at The Ritzy cinema in Brixton are on strike today for the London Living Wage. Pickets began at 9am and will continue into the evening. Workers in BECTU, the media and entertainment trade union, gathered with DIY placards and leaflets using film quotes and art house cinema imagery. Ritzy […]