The trade union Verdi has called a warning strike for employees of cinema chains Cinestar and UCI during the Berlinale weekend. The work stoppage will take place at Cinestar’s CUBIX cinema on Alexanderplatz, the union announced on Friday.
“We use the warning strike to make a visible statement: glamorous film festivals and precarious working conditions do not belong together” said negotiator Andreas Köhn. While the capital city shines for the Berlinale, many cinema workers continue to fight for wages that secure their livelihood.
Cinestar has so far offered nothing in the current wage round and considers the statutory minimum wage to be sufficient. UCI has offered an initial increase of 14 cents, with the then-applicable minimum wage of €14.60 to be paid from January 2027. The union has also urged strikes in Leipzig, Frankfurt and Mainz.
Verdi’s central demand is an entry wage of at least €16 per hour. Further negotiation dates are scheduled with Cinestar on February 17 2026 and with UCI on March 3 2026.