Birmingham, Solihull and Nottingham Cineworld cinemas among hundreds to close today
Birmingham, Solihull and Nottingham's Cineworld will be among over 100 cinemas closing, leaving around 5,500 jobs at risk.
Today (5th October) the cinema chain announced its temporarily closing all of its screens across the UK from this Thursday.
The company's boss says it's because it's unviable to keep them open when the release of blockbuster films like the new James Bond are being delayed.
Despite the company recently reopening most of its cinemas in July when lockdown measures were eased, Cineworld bosses say with hardly any new films being released, it's "like a grocery shop with no food."
Bosses are set to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to tell them that cinema has become “unviable” as studios keep putting back blockbuster releases.
Phillepa Childs, head of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union that represents cinema workers, told ITV News Central that most staff found out about the cinema closures by social media and news coverage.
Ms Childs responding to confirmation that Cineworld is now closing all of its cinemas, said: “Confirmation that Cineworld is mothballing all its cinemas will be devastating for everyone who works there."
She added: “The pandemic continues to highlight those industries which build their considerable success on the back of workers who are paid badly and have zero job security."
"This is an unsustainable situation that has to change if we are to build any form of resilience into the workforce.”
Cineworld cinemas set to close down in the East Midlands:
Cineworld cinemas set to close down in the West Midlands:
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