The campaign is in support of Palestinian liberation
Workers at a charity-run theatre in Glasgow have launched a boycott of goods linked to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Unite Hospitality members working at the Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) will no longer list goods for sale at the cinema listed under Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Union members, making up 85% of front of house and cleaning staff, are participating in a groundbreaking service boycott by refusing to handle Coca-Cola products.
The move follows an open letter from campaigners Arts Workers for Palestine Scotland, signed by hundreds of individuals and arts organisations, calling for the GFT to remove Barclays advertising at the venue, endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and implement a wider BDS support campaign at the venue.
Unite Hospitality said in a statement: “We urge all audiences to support the brave action of these workers who are taking a stand for Palestinian liberation.
“We are incredibly disappointed that the GFT executive have refused to meet representatives of Art Workers for Palestine Scotland, or engage in a meaningful way with the demands of the film community in Glasgow that sustains the organisation.
“We are disappointed in the GFT’s failure to agree to endorse BDS and PACBI. For over a year our members have petitioned the board on numerous occasions to agree to scrap financial and cultural ties to the Israeli regime which has plausibly committed genocide, and continues to practice apartheid in the occupied territories and Jerusalem.
"We, as workers, are proud to be the facilitators of a cultural landmark like the GFT and only want the best for the institution in the future. We are offended by the board’s disregard for the unanimous voice of our members, their workers, and believe this will be of detriment to the cinema going forward.
"We recognise the contradiction of an institution that is willing to profit financially from the screening of popular Palestinian films and documentaries while refusing to cut ties with the apartheid regime which so often appears as the antagonist in them.
"We are proud to be taking this action in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Our members are paving the way for workers across the Scottish economy to take action in support of Palestinian liberation.”
The move comes as the GFT hosts the Glasgow Film Festival.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Film told the Herald: "Glasgow Film is a not-for-profit educational charity committed to delivering its mission of Cinema For All.
"We understand the significance of the issues raised and the depth of feeling raised by members of our communities. The Board and Executive are reviewing the detailed points and requests submitted by staff with the necessary due diligence, essential legal review and consultation required to ensure that we meet our charitable obligations. We have communicated actively with our staff, and we have responded to AWFPS to accept their meeting request.
"This is the busiest and most high-profile time of the year at GFT, and we look forward to welcoming all our customers and guests to Glasgow Film Festival."
In a statement, Unite Hospitality members said: “This collective decision by our members displays the flexing of an industrial muscle too often unseen in the hospitality sector by a highly organised collective and should show our fellow workers in the industry that they can take material action in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
“In taking this action, the staff are utilising the effective voice afforded by their organisation in the workplace and influencing how the venue is run.
“We hope this ballot will lead to the GFT severing all ties with Israel financially and culturally, and their refusal to be complicit with genocide and apartheid.”
