Protest held in Chesterfield to highlight plight of Cineworld staff
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All 127 Cineworld cinemas across the UK and Ireland are now closed until further notice because of the impact of coronavirus – putting up to 5,500 jobs at risk.
Members of the Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council gathered outside the town’s Cineworld at Alma Leisure Park this week to raise awareness about the situation.
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Hide AdJames Eaden, president of the Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council, said: “We were amazed at the number of motorists who gave us the thumbs up sign and tooted their horns.
“The sacking of thousands of often low-paid zero hours contract staff by Cineworld this week is a stark symbol of what is already going on across the economy and will only increase in coming weeks.
“There is clearly a lot of public concern about the impact of the crisis on jobs and people’s futures.
“We need the Government to take emergency action to protect jobs, livelihoods and safety of all working people who face an economic tsunami.”
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Hide AdOn Friday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that people who work for UK firms forced to shut by law because of coronavirus restrictions will get two-thirds of their wages paid for by the Government.
The temporary closure of Cineworld’s cinemas came after it was announced that the release of the new James Bond film No Time To Die had been pushed back to April.
A Cineworld spokesperson said: “We will do everything we can to save livelihoods and the company – this is an extremely delicate and tricky balance.”