Propositions debated at Conference

That this annual conference is concerned that the post of Assistant General Secretary was created with seemingly little or no consultation with BECTU members. Conference therefore insists that the NEC must:

(a) justify the creation of this post at this conference

(b) seek its approval to maintain the post after a full debate.

Bush House 2
Caversham 1

WITHDRAWN

That this annual conference notes that the quality of service afforded by BECTU to many sub-divisions and areas such as the BBC World Service has continued to decline. Conference therefore deplores any proposals which would further reduce the effectiveness or quality of officers in the field. Conference is therefore urged to reject any proposal to appoint an Assistant General Secretary and moves that officers return to the less top-heavy structure of General Secretary, Supervisory Officials and National Officers.

Bush House 2
Caversham 1

WITHDRAWN

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to recognise that the use of technology is increasingly important in industrial campaigns. Consequently e-mail, mobile phones and the internet should be introduced and used by all BECTU National Officers without further delay and used to their best advantage.

Bush House 2

CARRIED

Amendment

In the second sentence, delete ", mobile phones"

London Television News

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the General Secretary and the NEC to seek urgent talks with the National Union of Journalists with the object of seeking amalgamation between BECTU and the NUJ. Further, that should the NUJ be in support of amalgamation, a process be put in place to ensure that a Heads of Agreement or Articles of Amalgamation be prepared in time for either the next Annual Conference or for a Special Conference in 2000, with the aim of balloting the members of both unions before the end of 2000.

London Television News

LOST

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to demand of the present government to reintroduce the union closed shop agreement which was abolished by the previous government.

Film Artistes

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to review the proportion of the political fund donated to the Labour Party in the light of its continuing reluctance to repeal anti trade union legislation. The NEC is instructed to explore the possibility of diverting more money to other political organisations in both the UK and Europe which it feels may better represent the union's interests. Additionally, the NEC should explore the possibility of using diverted funds as it feels appropriate for the purpose of raising BECTU's profile within the media industry.

Bush House 2

LOST

That this annual conference calls upon BECTU nationally to condemn New Labour's undemocratic attempt to stop Labour Party members voting for Ken Livingstone to be the party's candidate for Mayor of London.

Conference resolves to support Ken Livingstone's fight to stop a stitch up of the selection of Labour's candidate for Mayor, and to write to the headquarters of the London Region of the Labour Party supporting his right to stand.

Royal Opera House

CARRIED

This annual conference is increasingly alarmed by the escalation and violence in the Yugoslavia conflict in which media workers and/or their workplaces are being specifically targeted for attacks by both sides. BECTU calls upon both the Yogoslav government and NATO to immediately stop such actions and instead take such measures to ensure that media workers have the maximum support so that they can function as free as possible under these difficult circumstances.

This conference remains convinced that all possible steps should be taken to reopen negotiations to find a political solution to the conflict. Conference recognises that a condition for a political solution would be the withdrawal by the Yogslav authorities, of the military and police force from the province of Kosovo which should be replaced by an international peacekeeping force including Russia. Conference believes that this is the only way to guarantee a safe return of refugees and deported people. Conference believes that in the event of that action the NATO intervention should be immediately suspended. Conference expresses solidarity with all civilian victims in the conflict in Serbia.

National Executive Committee

CARRIED

Conference notes:
(i) The apparent end of the war in former Yogoslavia
(ii) The human, economic and environmental devastation caused by this war.

Conference believes:
(i) NATO intervention has made a tragedy into a catastrophe. There are many more refugees than when the war started, and many will be unable to return home.
(ii) Those who do will find a devastated country occupied by 50,000 foreign troops and with Milosevic still in power. It is also likely that ordinary, innocent Serbs citizens will be forced out.
(iii) The NATO intervention has increased ethnic tension and division in the region, contrary to its supposed aim, and has also created greater instability in the area that could lead to further wars.
(iv) The war itself was conducted in an illegal and undemocratic way, with no vote being taken in the UK Parliament, and no sanction from the United Nations.
(v) The media constantly failed to report anti-war arguments.

Conference resolves:
(i) To campaign for accurate reporting of what really happened in the war.
(ii) To campaign against the UK government's recently-unvailed Asylum Bill, the contents of which contradict the NATO's notion that this war was fought for refugees. We should make refugees welcome in the UK.

BBC IT Services

LOST

That this annual conference:

congratulates the Cuban people on the 40th anniversary of the revolution;

celebrates the subsequent achievements in health and education unparalleled in Third World countries;

condemns the aggressive and unlawful attempts to undermine Cuban national sovereignty by the United States of America;

calls upon the British government to continue to make its opposition to the United States' economic blockade of Cuba clear through public statements and its vote at the United Nations and other international bodies and to call for the unconditional lifting of the blockade;

and instructs the NEC to seek to win support for these policies both at branch level by encouraging branches to affiliate to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and through appropriate bodies on which the union is represented both nationally and internationally.

Central London OB Engineers

CARRIED

That this annual conference, in view of the restrictions being placed on member democracy by the union's financial position, asks the NEC to assess the amount currently spent on travel outside the United Kingdom and Ireland, and to draw up strict criteria, setting a limited budget if necessary, to ensure that all expenditure can be fully justified to conference as essential to the interests of members.

North West Freelance

LOST

That this annual conference calls upon BECTU to campaign vigorously, in concert with fellow unions and other interested bodies for a thorough reform of the tax system. The object is, in general, to lift a substantial proportion of the burden from the shoulders of lower-paid workers and shift it to those who are better able to afford it: and more particularly, to address the particular problem of freelance workers.

Animation

That this annual conference urges that BECTU assist in setting up a short-term savings plan into which BECTU Schedule D members could deposit untaxed excess income and receive a high rate of interest. The plan would enable such members to preserve funds for years in which they may experience shortfalls in their income thus enabling them better to manage their resources. These funds could be drawn out of the fund in lean years when they would be subject to tax along with other income in that year's tax return.

Animation

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to canvass the Labour Party by whatever means it feels appropriate to ensure Labour honours its commitment to establishing a Freedom of Information Act.

Bush House 2

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC, in consultation with the Equality Committee, to look into the provision of expenses for childcare.

The current allowance of £10 a day, regardless of number of children and hours spent away from home, was agreed in 1991, and has never been reviewed, is totally inadequate. At a time when the union is seeking to encourage activity in the union, the lack of increase in this allowance could be viewed as discriminatory against members with young children.

South Wales Freelance

CARRIED

That this annual conference welcomes the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and notes with concern its findings concerning the levels of racism within the police, especially in the context of the growth of racist parties in Britain and Europe. Conference therefore believes that stronger support for anti-racist organisations is needed and instructs the NEC to affiliate to the Anti Nazi League.

London Television News

CARRIED

Amendment

Delete second sentence

West Midlands Freelance

CARRIED

That this annual conference proposes that the code of practice with regard to Equality for Freelance Members, worded in the BECTU publication Equality Matters, be reflected in the composition, substance of and contributions to the BECTU website, which is viewable on the internet and accessible from the BBC BECTU office.

Animation

CARRIED

That this annual conference:

views with concern the continued drive to multiskilling in television/film production;

recognises that in some cases technological change may justify redefinition of jobs, but believes that multiskilling is often introduced simply to drive down short-term costs;

believes that multiskilling frequently undermines health and safety through under-crewing, and by demanding that a few individuals possess knowledge of safe working practices in several disciplines;

believes that this threat to health and safety is especially acute where multiskilling is introduced not just within departments, but across departments;

calls upon the NEC to ensure that information about trends in multiskilling is shared across divisions and industrial sectors, and to co-ordinate a united union response.

Media Make-up and Hair

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to appoint a Training Officer as soon as possible, and, in any case, no later than the end of 1999.

London Television News

CARRIED

Amendment

Add second paragraph: "Furthermore, that the union should develop a long term strategy in association with the needs of the industry, particularly in view of the deficit of health and safety instruction in an increasingly untrained workforce."

Art Department

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC that, in view of the Deputy General Secretary's high profile in Training, and his imminent retirement, BECTU should implement the immediate appointment of the dedicated Training Officer for the union. The Deputy General Secretary and lay members have hitherto represented the union on several regional, national and international committees, representing both BECTU and the FEU. When Roy Lockett leaves the union in August 1999 it will be impossible to maintain this level of representation from existing resources which are already working at full capacity.

North Wales Freelance

PASSED OVER

That this annual conference asks the NEC to investigate the possibility of the creation of some form of Young Members' Network or Forum. The aim of such a body should be to work for the recruitment, retention, representation and organisation of young people in our sector.

Film and Tape Editing

CARRIED

Amendment

Add third sentence: "To expedite this proposition, the NEC should forge links with the National Union of Students."

Bush House 2

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC to examine the problem of new entrants to media work being exploited in terms of pay and working hours and conditions by broadcasters and production companies, with a view to launching a campaign to:

(a) inform undergraduates and graduates of the pitfalls and deceptions involved in working minimal rates and long hours;

(b) make employers aware that the union will not support any training schemes based on exploitative pay and conditions.

East Anglia Freelance

CARRIED

That this annual conference instructs the NEC that, in view of BECTU's current high profile in Training because of the success of Skillsbase in raising money from external sources including the TUC and Europe, it is vitally important that the union extends its support for the project. The project's sustainability has been a key factor in its funding requirements, and BECTU must address its future commitment to it if the union is to avoid a considerable loss of credibility in the wider arena.

London Television News

CARRIED

That this annual conference agrees that any paid-up member who is elected to a voluntary post within the union shall be able to 'job-share' the post (where one position is shared jointly by two candidates who shall share the workload between them).

Any 'job-share' shall appear on a ballot paper as one position although both shall be entitled to attend and speak at meetings of the committee to which they are elected. They shall share one vote and should they disagree on any matter they will abstain from voting.

Commercial West End Theatres

WITHDRAWN

That this annual conference requests the NEC to initiate procedures to ensure that freelance crews elect a BECTU representative/steward on all productions on which they are working.

Property

LOST

That this annual conference would like to see the AFVPA agreement extended to cover all animation sub-division grades.

Animation

WITHDRAWN

That this annual conference notes that without changes to DTI regulations, actors/artists cannot check the date of payment by the employers or check that the agent has paid them the correct amount an on time. Without a date of payment, actors/artists cannot claim late payment interest.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to lobby the DTI:

(1) to allow actors/artists to claim late payment interest, reference DTI legislation "Statutory Right to Interest". Currently only agents have the right to claim this interest if they so wish to do so. Agents do not have to pass this on to the actor/artist.

(2) to make it a legal responsibility for agents to show on their remittance advice to the actor/artist the date that the agent received payment from the employer.

(3) to make it a legal responsibility, when an agent is used as the third party, for employers to send a remittance advice to the actor/artist, stating the amount paid and the date payment was sent to the agent. To make it a legal responsibility for the agent to pass this advice on, to the actor/artist.

Film Artistes

CARRIED

That this annual conference reinforces and abides by the rules as stated in rule 5 clauses (w) through to (cc)

Film Artistes

WITHDRAWN

That this annual conference notes with alarm the BBC's serious review of its occupation of Pebble Mill, the last remaining centre of production in the West Midlands. This conference believes that closure of this centre would have disastrous consequences for employment of all categories of member in the region. It therefore calls on the union to mount a campaign to urge the BBC to maintain a major production arm in England's Second City.

West Midlands Freelance

That this annual conference urges that BECTU campaign to ensure that all BECTU members of crews in film and television production are duly credited.

Animation