New Ritzy pay offer

BECTU members at Brixton's Ritzy Cinema meet next week to vote on an improved pay offer following two days of industrial action.

The offer represents wage increases of over 22% by October 2009 for the lowest paid staff, who are currently paid at the level of the National Minimum Wage, with the first 8.4% increase backdated to 1 October 2006.

Strike action is suspended until Ritzy members vote on the offer on Wednesday 27 June.

BECTU Supervisory Official Willy Donaghy said: "The offer comes as a consequence of the successful and high profile strike action taken by the members after previous negotiations failed to produce an acceptable pay offer".

If accepted, the offer would result in the staff's wages rising to about the expected level of the London poverty threshold wage over the next two years.

BECTU members at the cinema took strike action on 26 May and 1 June in protest at Ritzy's offer to increase wages from the National Minimum Wage of £5.35 to £5.41 per hour (or £5.50 without a sales bonus).