BBC receives pay claim for 2009-10

BECTU has today (Wednesday) submitted its pay claim for 2009-10 on behalf of its BBC membership.

As is established, the claim [51k pdf] has been agreed by the BBC’s three recognised unions - BECTU, the NUJ and Unite - and negotiations with the BBC’s management will be conducted jointly.

This year’s claim seeks an across the board increase for all staff of £1800. The unions preparatory discussions have been informed by the current economic climate and the impact of the latest licence fee settlement.

The decision to submit a claim for a flat rate increase is intended to provide greatest assistance to the BBC’s lower paid staff.

The claim, set out in a letter from BBC Supervisory Official, Helen Ryan, to the BBC’s Employee Relations and People Strategy Director, Mike Goodie, says: “Even though the BBC licence fee settlement is less than what the joint unions or the BBC would have wanted it is however a guaranteed income that will increase this year by 2%.”

The claim follows the BBC’s announcement yesterday (Tuesday) that a pay freeze is to be imposed on senior management salaries for 2009/10 and that, in addition, no bonuses will be paid.

In reply, BECTU has said that the BBC’s decision on how it will treat its managers will not inhibit the union in pressing its case for a pay award for staff for the 12 months from 1 August 2009.

Last year BBC staff received a 2% pay award when inflation was running at 4%; in addition there are plans to increase employee contributions to the final salary pension scheme by 0.75% in April 2009 and by a further 0.75% in April 2010.

“The combined effect of the below inflation pay award and the proposed increases to pension contributions will leave our members at least 3.5% worse off financially than they were prior to the August 2008 pay award,” explained Helen Ryan.

In addition to the flat rate increase of £1800, the joint unions are seeking a proportionate increase in staff allowances.

The unions are also urging the BBC to sign up to a job security agreement for at least 12 months given the significant number of jobs which the BBC has shed in the last 3-4 years.

Talks on the pay claim are expected to start in the next few weeks.