Unite
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Cinemas
Unite has been involved in covering cinema workers for several decades. We have collective agreements in place for waged workers at the biggest cinema companies in New Zealand – Event, Hoyts, Rialto and Reading. We also cover members at many smaller, independent cinemas. We’ve put security back into working at the cinemas by getting guaranteed hours of work for every employee. Unite has also given back cinema workers their weekends and their time by removing required availability.
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What have we won for cinema workers?
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Pay increases for long- serving cinema workers
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Increased rights around Public Holidays
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Redundancy compensation
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Allowances for public transport, uniforms and cleaning
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Overtime rates for extra hours
What common problems does Unite help with?
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Getting more hours of work
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Getting too many hours of work
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Representation for investigation meetings and disciplinaries
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Health and safety issues being raised, including mental health
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Help with bullying and harassment
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Not being trained properly or progressing in the company
Cinemas Lead Organiser
Shimona Zhang
Cinema News
Download Collective Agreement
Why become a union member at Event?
Security
In 2020 Event undertook a brutal restructure which cut their labour costs in half by slashing hours and making people redundant. We back up our members right from the beginning to make sure they get a fair deal - if not, we give them the legal resources they need to do something about it.
Health
In the time of Covid-19, we have been crucial to making sure that Event is safe to work in and that workers are being treated fairly. This has included:
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Scrutinising and challenging Event’s use of the wage subsidy and other government
assistance to make sure it is being distributed fairly -
Making sure masks are available and being used
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Negotiating additional sick leave so that workers are not out of pocket
Pay and conditions
Our members work together to negotiate better pay and conditions through the union.
Support
Members also get representation and support when issues come up at work.
Background of Event Cinemas
Event is the biggest cinema company in New Zealand. It is an Australian company and is a subsidiary of the Event Hospitality and Entertainment company. This parent company made $118.8 million NZD net income in 2019 and is publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Download Collective Agreement
Why become a union member at Hoyts?
Security
In 2020 Hoyts undertook a restructure which cut their labour costs in half by cutting hours and making people redundant.
We back up our members right from the beginning to make sure they get a fair deal - if not, we give them the legal resources they need to do something about it.
Health
In the time of Covid-19, we have been crucial to making sure that Hoyts is safe to work in and that workers are being treated fairly. This has included:
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Ensuring government assistance is being distributed as it should be
-
Making sure masks are available and being used
-
Negotiating additional sick leave so that workers are not out of pocket
Pay and conditions
Our members work together to negotiate better pay and conditions through the union.
Support
Members also get representation and support when issues come up at work.
Background of Hoyts cinemas
Hoyts is the second biggest cinema company in New Zealand. It is part of an Australian company that is a subsidiary of Wanda Group. Wanda Group is a Chinese-based conglomerate that ranks on the Fortune Global 500 list.
Download Collective Agreement
Unite is currently negotiating our first collective agreement with Reading Cinemas New Zealand.
Unite previously has had collective agreements with individual Reading cinemas in Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch. In these agreements, Unite won the following victories for Reading workers:
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Introducing guaranteed hours and fixed shifts to give workers security
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Redundancy provisions
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Overtime rates and penal rates
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Clothing and transport allowances
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Automatic pay rises
Our Reading members get a collective voice in discussion with the company and representation and assistance in workplace problems.
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