Scots Cineworld workers have slammed the cinema chain after the news of site closures and potential job losses broke over social media.
The Sunday Times reported that the firm could close theatres across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
All 128 Cineworld branches in the UK and Ireland could shut up shop completely from this week until next year, according to the reports.
Workers at Scots theatre branches took to Twitter to claim they had not been informed of the announcement by management, which could see around 5,500 jobs at risk.
One disgruntled employee from Glasgow wrote: “The newspapers know more about my job situation than I do these days. Classic Cineworld.”
Another wrote: “If Cineworld is shutting and I’ve found out from Twitter instead of our head office, I am going to actually lose my s**t.”
One other employee said: “So I’ve just woken up to find out the company I worked for for the best part of four years is planning to close all stores by the end of the week.
“Staff have not been informed.”
Workers rights organisation Cineworld Action Group also said that staff have not been involved in the consultation over the plans at all.
In a statement, the group said: “The front page of tomorrow’s Times is announcing that Cineworld is planning to close all of its cinemas across the country as soon as this week putting all of our jobs at immediate risk.
“There has been no consultation with staff whatsoever.
“We have found out vital information about our jobs from the media throughout the pandemic. Workers have been left out of discussions that should’ve included our voices.
“However, in this case it goes beyond belief. To find out you may no longer have a job from the media is awful.”
News of the potential closures came after the new James Bond film, No Time to Die, was delayed until April next year.
Cinemas across the country had been hoping that the long-awaited film would give the industry a shot in the arm when it was originally earmarked for release in November.
Cineworld is also reportedly writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and culture secretary Oliver Dowden to say that the industry has become “unviable” as a result of the postponement of big-budget films.
Audience numbers are said to have been lower than anticipated since Cineworld branches reopened in July this year.
Cineworld confirmed that it is yet to come to a decision on the temporary closure.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “We can confirm that we are considering the temporary closure of our UK and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached.
“Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can.”
