3% rise accepted at UGC cinemas

Projectionists at UGC have voted in favour of a union-negotiated pay increase.

The pay offer, accepted by 89% of members in a postal ballot, includes a 3% basic increase, a £200 lump sum, and improvements in Bank Holiday payments.

Staff working on Bank Holidays will now be paid at 1.5T for each hour on duty. BECTU also achieved an improvement in sick pay, which will now be a staff entitlement from the first day of employment at UGC, with no qualifying period of service.

Some elements of the union's original pay claim have still not been settled, and BECTU is expecting further discussions with the company which may also cover a recent reorganisation which led to redundancies among cinema managers.

BECTU has bargaining rights for projectionists at UGC, but is not recognised for front-of-house staff whose pay rates are not set by negotiation. However the union is attempting to recruit non-projectionists at the company's cinemas, and hopes to achieve recognition in the future.