Projectionists get pay rise

Press, 23 March 1985, Page 14

Projectionists get pay rise

Cinema projectionists in the South Island, of whom there are only about 80, have won a wage increase of 9.52 per cent for 10 months, under the terms of a settlement of their award in conciliation talks in Christchurch on Wednesday-. ...

The advocate for the South Island Motion Picture Projectionists’ Union, Mr Trevor Smith, said that the increase would be backdated to March 1. It brought the rates of pay into line with rates being paid in the North Island, he said.

Another advance is that there are two more steps in the service allowance provision, including an allowance after one year’s service and another after 14

Mr Smith said that the new award also provided that where part-time projectionists worked at cinemas where there were at least six screenings a week, the part-timers would be paid at time and a half rates instead of time and a quarter. There will be no work by projectionists on Good Fridays, even though there is provision for it in the award, with treble time pay and a day off in lieu. Mr Smith said that it was union policy not to work on Good Fridays. This was because there were only two statutory holidays a year for projectionists and they wanted the time to be with their families.