New Resources pay and pensions

In a consultative ballot 77% of BBC Resources members have voted to accept a new pay and pensions package.

As a result redundancy rights for staff in the Corporation’s TV facilities division will be brought into line with the rest of the BBC.

The ballot result comes as Resources faces an uncertain future.

Most Resources staff are based at Television Centre in West London, and the BBC has said it intends to close the iconic building by 2012.

BECTU has said “this is a process that requires careful management rather than allowing the facility to just run down and waste away”.

Despite the BBC failing to sell the Post Production department earlier this year, union members are still unclear if management will attempt a further sale.

The BBC has already sold the Outside Broadcasts department to SIS - the only part of its original plan to sell the whole Resources division which has been implemented.

Union officials are seeking an urgent meeting with Corporation management to discuss these potentially destabilising issues.

The ballot result means Resources staff aged over 55 who are made redundant because of the Television Centre closure, or the move of BBC departments to Salford, will be given enhanced pensions.

This will continue to apply after April 2011, when the BBC’s current pension augmentation package is due to be scrapped.

The package also includes a 2% pay increase in August 2008 and introduces a single level of unpredictable working allowance (UPA) for new staff - existing staff will be unaffected by this change.

Amended 5 November 2010. For further information contact BECTU Head Office.