BECTU, seeking recognition for staff at Clapham Picturehouse, argues that the City Screen / Picturehouse Staff Forum (which now represents staff at all other Picturehouse sites except the Ritzy) is not a real union. The arguments in defence of the Forum are presented by Picturehouse management, without any member of the Forum present. The challenge failed as the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) decided that while ‘highly atypical as an organisation, let alone an organisation of workers’, the Forum met the basic legal definition of a trade union. Shortly after, the Forum decides to establish an Executive Committee and Rule Book for the first time, along with other changes to its procedures, following suggestions made by company management.
Article by Rastko Novaković:
“The CAC’s acceptance of the City Screen Staff Forum as a trade union sets a dangerous and damaging precedent for industrial organising. By interpreting the law so narrowly, it is arguably following the letter, but not the spirit of the law. It was also able to remain consistent with its previous judgement from 2003, because Picturehouse Cinemas relied on this judgement in constructing its case and by putting practices into place which would make the Forum adopt the semblance of a trade union. By meeting the narrow criteria of s1 of TULR(C)A the Forum was able to demonstrate it regulated the relations between workers and employers, even though it was compromised and subject to interference by the same employer.”
Full CAC report:
Picturehouse Workers' Blog 