At the start of the Berlinale, the Verdi union called on the employees of eleven Yorck cinemas to go on a all-day warning strike on Thursday. Some of the Yorck cinemas are venues for the film festival that was supposed to open in the evening. “We currently advise against applying to the Yorck Kinos as an employee, as the company does not adhere to the agreed collective agreements,” said Verdi. The union wants to achieve higher wages for employees. They would currently be paid 12.50 euros per hour at the entry level, Verdi demands at least 13 euros per hour.
The union also criticizes the fact that the company provides up to 75 percent of the employees with fixed-term contracts in individual cinemas – the valid collective agreement prescribes a maximum of 10 percent limitations.
pressure on employees
“There are other cinema companies in Berlin that pay more and treat their employees better,” said trade union secretary Jörg Reichel. He accused the company of putting considerable pressure on employees. “Anyone who works in the Yorck cinemas on a temporary basis is afraid of going on strike. The company has taken photos of striking workers in the past,” Reichel said. “We warn the Berlinale against using scabs.”
As part of the warning strike, a rally and strike meeting is planned from 6 p.m. on Alte Potsdamer Straße.
We warn the Berlinale against using scabs.
Union secretary Jörg Reichel
The conflict between Verdi and the cinema group has been going on for several months, and there have already been several warning strikes. The last negotiation was at the end of January. On Thursday, the cinema group did not comment on the allegations that the collective agreement was broken with time limits.
Regarding the negotiations, the company said: “During the negotiations we have repeatedly emphasized that we are willing to reach an agreement, but that a collective agreement must keep an eye on what is economically feasible.” Verdi was offered an arbitration procedure, but the union rejected it.
The Yorck cinema group employs around 160 people. Eleven cinemas are affected by the warning strike. The Cinema Paris, the Delphi Filmpalast and the Kant-Kino are part of the Yorck-Kino network, but have a different owner. (dpa)
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