Vue cinema staff go on strike in Glasgow over work conditions

Staff at one of Glasgow's busiest cinemas are to begin strike action to protest against working conditions, wages and lack of trade union recognition.

Workers at the Vue in St Enoch's Centre told BBC Scotland News they felt they had to act for a number of reasons, including the company not paying for employees to get transport home after late night shifts which end about 02:00.

The action is believed to the first in Scotland at a cinema and is scheduled to last until 7 January.

The cinema chain said screenings of films like Wicked For Good and Zootropolis 2 at the venue would continue as normal, with temporary staff brought in.

Members of the Unite union voted in favour of striking last month, and about 50 employees are expected to take part in the protest, including picketing the cinema.

Yusuf Kidwai, the lead convenor of the strikes, said frustration with conditions had been growing for some time at the chain.

He told BBC Scotland News: "There is a lot of turnover in hospitality, so there is not a strong union culture in the industry. That's why it's amazing what we have been able to do here.

"Vue has told us to complain through the proper channels but we have done that, and nothing has been done."

Mr Kidwai, who has worked at the St Enoch cinema since autumn 2024, said workers want four things from the dispute - to be paid the real living wage, for trade unions to be recognised by Vue, for staff to have better contracted hours, and for paid transport home after late shifts.

He added: "We have screenings that go on until two or three in the morning, and that asks a lot of staff.

"The area around Argyle Street is not safe at night, and you have a lot of young students left to either walk home through unsafe areas or spend half the day's wages on a taxi."

A planning committee meeting at Glasgow City Council recently heard how the area around St Enoch's often suffered anti-social behaviour.

Mr Kidwai said he believed workers trained at another Vue cinema would be brought in to replace the striking workers.

Vue is one of the biggest cinema chains in the country, and its city centre venue one of Glasgow's largest, after the closure of Cineworld earlier this year.

Founder and chief executive Tim Richards recently said the company had returned to pre-pandemic trading levels this year.

A spokesperson for Vue said: "Our teams are at the heart of our business and are highly valued. We continue to have regular meetings and open dialogue with site team members."