London cinema workers are planning strike action as part of a campaign for them to receive an independently verified living wage.
Strike action could coincide with the release of the Harry Potter spinoff film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Staff at The Ritzy in Brixton and Hackney Picturehouse say they will walkout for five days from Thursday.
Workers said they chose to time the strike at the same time of the film’s release as they wouldn’t be able to watch the film in cinemas were they not employed by them.
A message on the A Living Wage for Ritzy Staff Facebook page reads: “We're striking over the first 5 days of Fantastic Beasts because we believe everyone has the right to be able to afford to watch wonderful films full of hope like the Harry Potter series.
“The truth is, if we didn't work at Picturehouse Cineworld Cinemas we actually couldn't afford to watch films there. Everyone has the right to a real Living Wage, enough income to delve into great fantasy in a film screen.
“The movies aren't for the privileged alone, they're for EVERYONE.”
Workers accused Picturehouse of backtracking on a promise made two years ago to raise pay in line with the London Living Wage, which currently stands at £9.75 an hour.
In 2014, employees at The Ritzy received a 26 per cent pay rise, which was less than they demanded, after they campaigned to receive the London Living Wage.
Picturehouse, which is owned by Cineworld, pays its London staff £8.77 an hour but has a separate pay agreement at The Ritzy where front-of-house staff are paid £9.10 per hour.
But London staff say the amount is not enough to live on in the capital.
Bectu, the media and entertainment union representing the workers, said it hoped to negotiate the pay rate with Cineworld bosses.
The Standard has approached Picturehouse cinemas for a comment.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is released in cinemas on Friday, November 18
