London

Subscribe
Search

London

Popcorn, Rio, Cinema, Film
© Ben Rowe
© Ben Rowe

Zero-hours contracts in cinemas: exploitation or necessary evil?

We speak to cinema managers, a former employee and a campaigner for living wages about the recent outcry around employment contracts for cinema employees

Advertising

In recent weeks there’s been a flood of articles in the mainstream news media about the practice of using zero-hours contracts: a method of working which allows employers to give contracted staff as few or as many working hours as they see fit – with few or no benefits. Companies such as Sports Direct, McDonald’s and Boots have all been the subject of negative reports. Many UK cinemas have also been criticised for utilising these contracts, with the Cineworld chain in particular coming under fire in a piece in The Guardian.

But what’s the reality behind these working practices in our cinemas? Are the screens we visit every week – both big chains and independent arthouses – exploiting their staff for financial gain? Or are zero-hours contracts a necessary evil if cinemas want to remain solvent in tough economic times and we want to continue paying the prices we do for tickets?

We spoke to five interested parties – cinema managers, employees and concerned citizens – to get a measure of how zero-hours contracts affect those who work in London’s cinemas. Our focus is on independent cinemas, and although we contacted a number of the larger chains for comment, they did not respond to our queries.

Independent cinema manager (anonymous)

‘A lot of people in the cinema I work for are on zero-hours contracts and it’s rubbish, no one likes it. There’s no protection, no sick pay. Cinema staff have never been adequately protected, but it’s getting worse. A lot of staff don’t have unions anymore. There’s a massive gap between the floor staff and those who have made it into an office.

'Cinema itself seems to be doing okay, despite the fact that there’s a great depression and everybody’s broke. People are still coming to the movies. But jobs are still being cut back. Projectionists are getting laid off, marketing managers are being made redundant and front of house staff are expected to be projectionists, they’re expected to do marketing.

'People are trying to do too many things, and the quality suffers. But you have to be seen to do more than one job if you want to be kept on. It’s quite ruthless.’

Charles Rubinstein, general manager of the Rio, Dalston

‘Each cinema has unique staffing needs, and those change week by week according to how busy they are, how big the film is. We have a number of full-timers – and we’d lose our projectionists over my dead body – but a few staff are on zero-hours contracts, with the option to progress onto other contracts in the fullness of time. And that suits, because there are a lot of students looking for fluctuating part-time work so they can travel for a few weeks in the summer or they can revise before exams.

'It’s a logical, sensible way of meeting a certain situation. If we laid on staff every day as if we were expecting a big blockbuster success, we’d be paying so much out in wages we’d be out of business in a very short space of time. Staff costs are the single biggest item of expenditure.

'I know there’s been a lot about this in the media, but a newspaper doesn’t have the same issues employment-wise because they need a steady amount of people. If there’s a dramatic event in Syria, does The Guardian take on more staff?’
Advertising

Former employee of an arthouse cinema (anonymous)

‘I was offered part-time work with a zero-hours contract. It was all down to the whims of the managers whether or not you got work that week, which is just impossible to live with.

'They were very manipulative. And they employed so many people that we ended up getting about three hours a week. It seems as though zero-hours contracts are being used more and more at the moment. The staff are getting younger and less experienced, but they’re expected to do more.

'I know a lot of cinemas say that if they didn’t use these contracts they’d go out of business, but I bet if you looked through the finances of the cinema I worked for you’d find that isn’t the case.’

Fred Paxton, the Curzon Living Wage Campaign

‘I was just a customer at the Curzon, and I read a piece in the New Statesman about the working conditions [relating to zero-hours contracts]. I had the idea of Curzon as being quite progressive. I thought the least I could do was start a petition.

'The response was great, it grew very quickly – Ken Loach came on board. Although the Curzon management responded with promises to improve conditions, little progress has been made since then.

'I can see the advantages of those contracts for some people, for students or young people who might want a job they can drop in and out of. But the wages they were receiving were unacceptable for a job in Central London, and there needs to be a route into full-time contracts for those employees who have proved themselves. The management need to be receptive to that.’
Advertising

Rosie Greatorex, manager of the Lexi, Kensal Rise

‘I don’t think the problem of zero-hours contracts can be looked at in isolation from the wider question of how cinemas and film culture are funded. When you meet cinema managers from the rest of Europe, their venues all receive public money and the result is a thriving cinema culture.

'I’ve worked in cinemas which utilise zero-hours contracts and I know they can be difficult for some staff, especially those with families. But it’s often the only way a small indie cinema can keep going.

'The Lexi is run by a small staff team and a large number of local volunteers – they all give about three hours every two weeks to work on the box office or the bar, and 100 percent of the cinema’s profits go to charity. But of course volunteers aren’t the answer. What cinema needs is to be valued, and properly funded.’

More Time Out film features

Advertising

15 films you need to see before the end of 2014

  • Film
15 films you need to see before the end of 2014
15 films you need to see before the end of 2014
From blockbusters to biopics, we look forward to the best films coming to cinemas between now and Christmas The latest film interviews Andy Serkis As the actor monkeys around in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, he talks chimps, ‘Star Wars VII’ and playing Hitler Few actors have done more to revolutionise filmmaking than Andy Serkis, the unseen star of apocalyptic blockbuster ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Wearing a ludicrous green Lycra ‘performance capture’ suit (basically a high tech leotard), Serkis has no qualms about wriggling around as Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’, or chestbeating in ‘King Kong’. Rather than view it as a sideline to ‘proper’ acting, the 50-year-old north Londoner has become the king of performance capture technology, where an actor’s movements are digitally recorded and translated into a computer image. He’s even opened a dedicated studio in Ealing, the Imaginarium, where he’ll direct ‘The Jungle Book’. His turn as chimp leader Caesar in the new ‘Apes’ was shot in performance capture. It’s a breathtaking example of technology and Serkis’s raw and powerful acting – even if you can’t see his face.Is performance capture your life’s work? ‘I’ve championed the technology because I really believe in it. It’s the most liberating tool for an actor. It enables you to play anything, regardless of shape, colour or sex. I wouldn’t say it’s everything, but it’s a massive chunk of my life.’ You’ve been doing it for years, but are there still times when you feel
Read more

The highs and lows of Bruce Willis

  • Film
The highs and lows of Bruce Willis
The highs and lows of Bruce Willis
We chart the skyscraping highs and bum-flashing lows of wisecracking action man and all-American idol Bruce Willis The latest film interviews Andy Serkis As the actor monkeys around in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, he talks chimps, ‘Star Wars VII’ and playing Hitler Few actors have done more to revolutionise filmmaking than Andy Serkis, the unseen star of apocalyptic blockbuster ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Wearing a ludicrous green Lycra ‘performance capture’ suit (basically a high tech leotard), Serkis has no qualms about wriggling around as Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’, or chestbeating in ‘King Kong’. Rather than view it as a sideline to ‘proper’ acting, the 50-year-old north Londoner has become the king of performance capture technology, where an actor’s movements are digitally recorded and translated into a computer image. He’s even opened a dedicated studio in Ealing, the Imaginarium, where he’ll direct ‘The Jungle Book’. His turn as chimp leader Caesar in the new ‘Apes’ was shot in performance capture. It’s a breathtaking example of technology and Serkis’s raw and powerful acting – even if you can’t see his face.Is performance capture your life’s work? ‘I’ve championed the technology because I really believe in it. It’s the most liberating tool for an actor. It enables you to play anything, regardless of shape, colour or sex. I wouldn’t say it’s everything, but it’s a massive chunk of my life.’ You’ve been doing it for years, but are there still times when y
Read more
Advertising

Ten reasons we love Robin Williams

  • Film
Ten reasons we love Robin Williams
Ten reasons we love Robin Williams
We pay tribute to the wild, unpredictable Hollywood star whose career ranged from outright comedy to Oscar-winning dramatic roles The latest film interviews Andy Serkis As the actor monkeys around in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, he talks chimps, ‘Star Wars VII’ and playing Hitler Few actors have done more to revolutionise filmmaking than Andy Serkis, the unseen star of apocalyptic blockbuster ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Wearing a ludicrous green Lycra ‘performance capture’ suit (basically a high tech leotard), Serkis has no qualms about wriggling around as Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’, or chestbeating in ‘King Kong’. Rather than view it as a sideline to ‘proper’ acting, the 50-year-old north Londoner has become the king of performance capture technology, where an actor’s movements are digitally recorded and translated into a computer image. He’s even opened a dedicated studio in Ealing, the Imaginarium, where he’ll direct ‘The Jungle Book’. His turn as chimp leader Caesar in the new ‘Apes’ was shot in performance capture. It’s a breathtaking example of technology and Serkis’s raw and powerful acting – even if you can’t see his face.Is performance capture your life’s work? ‘I’ve championed the technology because I really believe in it. It’s the most liberating tool for an actor. It enables you to play anything, regardless of shape, colour or sex. I wouldn’t say it’s everything, but it’s a massive chunk of my life.’ You’ve been doing it for years, but are there sti
Read more

The 20 most hilariously bad sci-fi movies

  • Film
The 20 most hilariously bad sci-fi movies
The 20 most hilariously bad sci-fi movies
The 100 best sci-fi movies Check out our epic celebration of sci-fi on screen, from established masterpieces to small-scale oddities. We hope it’ll serve not just as a fun read for film fans, but as inspiration for future directors, writers and perhaps even budding scientists. Get it right, and science fiction can be the most awe-inspiring cinematic genre there is. Get it wrong, and the results can be catastrophic, embarrassing – and really fun to watch Take a closer look at the world of sci-fi... The 100 best sci-fi movies This is a golden age of science fiction cinema. But how did we get here? How did this hugely popular but critically frowned-upon genre go from cardboard spaceships on strings at the local drive-in to the world-conquering pinnacle of blockbuster success? To find out, we created ‘The 100 best sci-fi movies’, a definitive look at the genre from the silent spectacle of 1927’s ‘Metropolis’ to the emotional intimacy of 2013’s ‘Her’. More on sci-fi movies What sci-fi planet should you live on? The 20 most hilariously bad sci-fi movies The biggest sci-fi movies of all time The ten sci-fi movie inventions we wish were real The 20 most horrific sci-fi movie deaths 1977: the most important year in sci-fi movie history From a spaceship on strings to guy-in-a-rubber-suit aliens, cardboard robots, Mick Jagger in leather chaps and John Travolta with dreadlocks, the worst sci-fi movies offer us a whole universe of wrong. Strap on your blaster, pour yoursel
Read more
Advertising

Five things you probably didn’t know about Nicolas Cage

  • Film
Five things you probably didn’t know about Nicolas Cage
Five things you probably didn’t know about Nicolas Cage
From his famous uncle to tripping with a feline friend, there’s more to the ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ star than you might have thought 1. He’s big on superheroes Born Nicolas Coppola, he got sick of being teased that he only had a career because of his surname (thanks to uncle Francis Ford). So he changed it to Cage after Marvel superhero Luke Cage. Well, it’s better than Thor. Latest film interviews Elle Fanning ‘I’m 16. I still go to school dances’ The teenage actress talks Disney princesses, fashion, feminism and getting star-struck. Read the interview Ken Loach ‘It’s difficult to keep out of mischief’ We speak to veteran director Ken Loach about rumours of retirement and his new film ‘Jimmy’s Hall’. Read the interview Michael Fassbender ‘You have to take risks’ We ask the star of ‘Shame’ and ‘12 Years a Slave’ why he’s hiding inside a giant fibreglass head. Read the interview Joanna Hogg ‘I tend to draw from my own life’ The British director discusses her new film, which explores the lives of two middle-aged artists. Read the interview Adam Driver ‘The military is the best acting training’ The accidental sex symbol talks about joining the US Marines, ‘Girls’ and his new film ‘Tracks’. Read the interview 2. He also likes dinosaurs In 2007, Cage paid $276,000 for a dinosaur skull, outbidding Leonardo DiCaprio. Excessive? This is a man who once owned nine Rolls Royces. The best films now showing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes The sequel to the prequel is a knockout Bo
Read more

Five things we learned at Comic-Con 2014

  • Film
Five things we learned at Comic-Con 2014
Five things we learned at Comic-Con 2014
All the big news from this year’s ultimate gathering of movie geeks The world’s biggest celebration of geek-friendly movies, comics and TV shows, San Diego’s Comic-Con International took place at the weekend. The internet is full of news pieces, screaming headlines and insider reports – but we’ve broken it all down into one handy five-point piece. This is all you need to know. 1. The Marvel Express shows no signs of slowing   For the past few years, Marvel Comics have dominated our summer viewing schedule. That’s not likely to change any time soon. Top of their upcoming release slate is ‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron’, next summer’s sequel to 2012’s ‘Avengers Assemble’, which is their biggest hit so far and one of the most successful films of all time. Cast members Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Samuel L Jackson were all on hand to promote the new movie, alongside villains James Spader and Josh Brolin. Comic-Con attendees were treated to a clip depicting the Avengers in their civvies sharing a drink, before a horde of galactic warriors came to gatecrash their party.In other Marvel news, footage was screened from the upcoming ‘Ant-Man’, in which Paul Rudd plays a hero able to shrink to insect size, and a sequel was announced for this summer’s sure-to-be-smash, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Latest film interviews Elle Fanning ‘I’m 16. I still go to school dances’ The teenage actress talks Disney princesses, fashion, feminism and getting sta
Read more
Advertising

Five reasons why 1977 was the most important year in sci-fi movie history

  • Film
Five reasons why 1977 was the most important year in sci-fi movie history
Five reasons why 1977 was the most important year in sci-fi movie history
1. ‘Star Wars’ is a hit George Lucas was a punk. He may not have had a Mohican or a safety pin through his nose, but the California-born director’s bloody-minded determination to make ‘Star Wars’ his way – building from scratch his own SFX studio, refusing to cast major stars, ignoring the advice of experienced industry insiders left and right – displayed a total dedication to the DIY ethos. Of course, it paid off handsomely, but there was never any guarantee. And if audiences hadn’t warmed to this odd little film about spaceships and mystical forces, the movies as we know them might look very different.‘Star Wars’ has been blamed for everything from infantilising filmgoers to celebrating American military might and thereby putting Ronald Reagan in power. But it also brought joy to millions of people around the world, and helped to make filmmaking a more democratic, grassroots process. God save George Lucas. We mean it, man.‘Star Wars’ is number six in our list of the 100 best sci-fi movies The 100 best sci-fi movies Check out our epic celebration of sci-fi on screen, from established masterpieces to small-scale oddities. We hope it’ll serve not just as a fun read for film fans, but as inspiration for future directors, writers and perhaps even budding scientists. It wasn’t just ‘Star Wars’ that sent the popularity of the genre into orbit. Here’s why the late ‘70s were a golden time to be a nerd 2. ‘Damnation Alley’ flops The likelihood is you’ve never even heard of ‘Damnati
Read more
Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising
    Back to Top

    About us

    Contact us

    Time Out products

    Site Map
    © 2025 Time Out England Limited and affiliated companies owned by Time Out Group Plc. All rights reserved. Time Out is a registered trademark of Time Out Digital Limited.