Propositions debated at Conference 2001
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| Delegate Edna Hewitson addresses Conference |
- "CARRIED" - proposition supported by Conference.
- "LOST" - proposition rejected by Conference.
- "REMITTED" - proposition handed to National Executive Committee (NEC) without any decision by Conference.
- "PASSED OVER" - proposition not debated or no vote taken.
- "WITHDRAWN" - proposition removed by those who submitted the motion and therefore not considered by Conference.
Menu of motions grouped by subject.
- AP1 BECTU conference CARRIED
- AP2 Young members CARRIED
- AP3 New Entrant and Graduate members' handbook CARRIED
- AP4 NUS and New Entrant/Graduate recruitment LOST
- AP5 On-line directory/employment service CARRIED
- AP6 Technology in BECTU LOST
- AP7 Convergence CARRIED
- AP8 Competitiveness with other unions REMITTED
- AP9 Amalgamation with the NUJ LOST
- AP10 Pensions advice CARRIED
- AP11 Working Time Regulations CARRIED
- AP12 Production safety plans CARRIED
- AP13 NHS funding CARRIED
- AP14 Members' health CARRIED
- AP15 Privatisation CARRIED
- AP16 Political affiliation WITHDRAWN
- AP17 Financial support for the Labour Party LOST
- AP18 Affiliation to the Labour Party LOST
- AP19 The minimum wage LOST
- AP20 The minimum wage LOST
- AP21 Labour Candidate for London Mayor LOST
- AP22 Broadcasting regulation REMITTED
- AP23 The global animation industry CARRIED
- AP24 Equitable remuneration right CARRIED
- AP25 Transfer of Undertakings Regulations CARRIED
- AP26 Payment on time CARRIED
- AP27 Design "pitching" CARRIED
- AP28 Competent personnel REMITTED
- EP1 Chechnya CARRIED
- EP2 Asylum and immigration CARRIED
- EP3 Mayor of London CARRIED
Formal motions on the BECTU conference agenda
AP1 BECTU conference
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to investigate the potential for alternative and innovative conference formats, including for instance interactive workshop sessions, multimedia presentations and keynote speakers, aimed at stimulating more imaginative participation by attendees. The NEC should either report its conclusions to conference in 2001, or publish them to branches in advance and implement them at that conference.
North Wales Freelance
CARRIED
AP2 Young members
That this annual conference calls on the NEC to act upon [proposition] 19/99 passed at least year's conference regarding the possible formation of some sort 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 & Tape Editing
CARRIED
AP3 New Entrant and Graduate members' handbook
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to produce a handbook for New Entrant and Graduate members. This should include information about training within the industry; employment rights, especially concerning minimum pay and hours of work; and the structure and working practices of the union itself. This handbook should be put together with the fullest possible involvement of New Entrant and Graduate members through their branches and be available to members by the end of 2000. Once produced the handbook should automatically [be] sent to all relevant new members upon [enrolment].
New Entrants & Graduates
CARRIED
AP4 NUS and New Entrant/Graduate recruitment
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to establish an ongoing working relationship between BECTU and the National Union of Students in order to make sure that as many new entrants and graduates as possible are made aware of the union's existence and relevance. Appropriate publicity material such as posters should be produced; participation take place in relevant NUS conferences and events; and articles and advertisements be placed in NUS publications. This process should include the widest possible involvement of new entrant, graduate and other relevant members through their branches.
New Entrants & Graduates
LOST
AP5 On-line directory/employment service
That this annual conference asks the NEC to undertake a feasibility study into setting up an on-line directory/employment service which would allow freelance members to post their CVs on the site, with photographs and signposts to samples of their work if necessary, and which would allow employers free access to search those sites to meet their requirements. On completion of the study, if the results are positive, conference asks that implementation of such a service be undertaken with all due speed.
North West Freelance
CARRIED
AP6 Technology in BECTU
That this annual conference recognises that there is a need for this union's officials to be at least as membership-friendly as other communication and media unions. In the light of the massive increase in the use of mobile phones in the last year alone the NEC must ensure that National [Officials] and lay [officers] are available through this [medium] at appropriate times in order for BECTU to best serve its membership.
Bush House 2
LOST
AP7 Convergence
That this annual conference, in view of the recent merger between America On Line and [Time]-Warner, which is a major move in the convergence of computer services and film and television broadcasting, asks that a cross-divisional debate be held on the issues raised by convergence for all members, and for the future of BECTU itself, in a forum similar to that used to consider the Working Time Regulations and Fairness at Work legislation.
North West Freelance
CARRIED
AP8 Competitiveness with other unions
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to recognise that in many areas where there is joint recognition, BECTU is losing existing and potential members by having a higher subscription [than] competing unions, such as the NUJ. In acknowledging the problem the NEC must examine and propose solutions which make BECTU subscriptions both competitive and affordable to the low paid and, as a consequence, create a potential for income growth.
Bush House 2
REMITTED
AP9 Amalgamation with the NUJ
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to continue and expand talks with the NUJ on a possible merger. In so doing, the NEC is urged to raise awareness of the issue and consider the following measures against a backdrop of likely eventual amalgamation.
Bush House 2
LOST
AP10 Pensions advice
That this annual conference, in view of the lack of any pensions scheme for freelances, the age profile of the union, and the difficulties many members have who have changed employment a number of times, asks that the NEC explores with urgency the possibility of independent individual pensions advice being made available to all freelance members as a service of the union. In addition, this conference asks that the NEC continue to explore the possibility of a freelance pension scheme, which would be available to all freelances, and report back to the next conference with their findings on such a scheme.
North West Freelance
CARRIED
AP11 Working Time Regulations
That this annual conference notes that the Working Time Regulations are worded in such a way that unscrupulous employers continue to demand excessive working hours and to deny workers their statutory breaks.
In particular the facility to have derogations on breaks adversely affects freelances and casuals, thereby making permanent employment vulnerable.
Accordingly this conference instructs the NEC to campaign in the TUC and Labour Party for:
Northern Freelance
CARRIED
Amendment
Add at end of second paragraph:"Employers who ask potential employees to sign away their statutory rights on a contract of employment should be highlighted, for example in the same way as in the 'Ask First' section of the union journal."
Sound West Freelance
WITHDRAWN
AP12 Production safety plans
That this annual conference welcomes BECTU's positive input [to] the recent work of the HSE Broadcasting and Performing Arts Joint Advisory Committee and its various working parties on production health and safety issues. However conference notes with concern that too many employers and production companies in this sector are still failing to prioritise health and safety or carry out their legal duties to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workforce. As a result they are continuing to put the lives of BECTU members and others at risk.
Conference believes that systematic approaches to production health and safety planning, risk assessment, monitoring and review procedures should be prioritised by employers and designers, and should be subject to full consultation with BECTU safety representatives and/or officials.
To this end, conference instructs the NEC to ask the union's National Health and Safety Committee and the officials concerned to press for the use of Production Safety Plans (or equivalent) by employers and production companies, and for effective consultation on all stages of planning, organisation, risk assessment, implementation, monitoring and review.
Conference also instructs the NEC to raise these issues with the Federation of Entertainment Unions and to seek to establish regular liaison between FEU affiliates to encourage the promotion and adoption of Production Safety Planning within the industry.
Conference asks the NEC to report back to the next BECTU annual conference on progress made on this matter.
Production & Management Support
CARRIED
AP13 NHS funding
That this annual conference notes the continued underfunding of the NHS.
We call upon the government to provide funds immediately to raise health spending to the European Union average. If there is not enough money in reserve, the top rate of income tax should be raised to meet the shortfall.
The government should scrap [Private Finance Initiatives]. Profit making should play no part in running the NHS.
BECTU should take an active lead in raising these demands in the union movement.
Film & Tape Editing
CARRIED
AP14 Members' health
That this annual conference will not tolerate the jeopardy [in] which the nations' health is being put as a result of the government's underfunding of the NHS, pensions and other welfare. The NEC is therefore instructed to seek every possible opportunity of supporting measures and groups which seek to impress on government the need to increase significantly funding of all social and welfare [programmes].
Bush House 2
CARRIED
AP15 Privatisation
That this annual conference deplores the government's continuation of Tory privatisation policies. Conference considers that PFI (Private Finance Initiatives) and PPP [(Public-Private Partnership)] schemes being used in areas like the NHS, London [Underground] and schools, etc., are nothing more than privatisation by another name; even in the wake of the Paddington rail disaster, public safety is being placed at risk with New Labour's plans to privatise Air Traffic Control and the Tube. Conference calls on the NEC to campaign vigorously against PFI and PPP inside the [Labour Party] and the TUC, to write a letter to [the Prime Minister] expressing the union's opposition, take this motion to the TUC and [Labour Party] conferences, and [give] support to campaigns or protests launched against PFI or PPP schemes.
Information Technology Services
CARRIED
Amendment
In the last sentence, delete "take this motion to" and insert "support motions against PFI and PPP at", and before "campaigns and protests" insert "TUC-supported"
National Executive Committee
CARRIED
AP16 Political affiliation
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to disaffiliate [from] the Labour Party.
Information Technology Services
WITHDRAWN
AP17 Financial support for the Labour Party
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to withdraw financial support to the New Labour Party because of its pro-employer and anti-trade union stance.
Film Artistes
LOST
AP18 Affiliation to the Labour Party
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to reconsider its affiliation to the Labour Party in the light of the government's reluctance to support the campaign to fight the privatisation of BBC Resources Ltd. It should also explore the possibility of diverting more money to other political organisations in both the UK and Europe which it feels may represent better the union's interests in connection with maintaining good public service broadcasting. Most importantly, if affiliation can no longer be justified, the NEC should withdraw its affiliation at a time which achieves maximum media publicity.
Bush House 2
LOST
AP19 The minimum wage
That this annual conference is concerned at the proposals by the Labour government to freeze the minimum wage. Conference therefore calls upon BECTU to campaign through the TUC for a meaningful increase with the aim of achieving a minimum wage of £5 per hour.
Further, that a letter be sent from BECTU to the Prime Minister expressing our opposition to any such freeze on the minimum wage.
London Library & Archive
LOST
AP20 The minimum wage
That this annual conference condemns the New Labour government's decision to freeze the level of the minimum wage.
Conference agrees that BECTU publicly demand the minimum wage be raised immediately to a figure of £5.00 an hour with no exceptions.
Conference agrees that BECTU immediately campaign for this demand by:
LOST
AP21 Labour Candidate for London Mayor
That this annual conference notes that Proposition 7/99 was passed by an overwhelming majority at the last Conference in June 1999. The proposition called upon BECTU nationally "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." No letter was written. [Conference] notes that the General Secretary and the NEC have ignored both the spirit and the letter of the motion from the end of Conference through to November 1999 when Ken Livingstone was finally allowed to put his name forward.
[Conference] condemn[s] the General Secretary and the NEC for overriding the decision of Conference. The failure to write a letter as instructed undermines the fundamental principle of the accountability of the NEC and General Secretary to the membership through Conference.
This Conference instructs the General Secretary and the NEC to send a written apology to every BECTU member regretting the loss of confidence in the value of Conference that this failure has caused and pledging to resign should they ever again ignore the instructions of Conference.
Royal Opera House
LOST
AP22 Broadcasting regulation
That this annual conference agrees that broadcasting in Scotland should no longer be a reserved power to Westminster.
Scottish Television
REMITTED
AP23 The global animation industry
That this annual conference urges that BECTU proposes that [Media Entertainment International] hold a conference on the global animation industry. The conference would address the implications that this global industry has for the convergence of film, media and broadcasting industries.
Animation
CARRIED
AP24 Equitable remuneration right
That this annual conference urges that BECTU supports and campaigns for the payment of equitable remuneration due to Animation artists and other creatives in BECTU where this issue is not yet being directly addressed.
Animation
CARRIED
AP25 Transfer of Undertakings Regulations
That this annual conference seeks a speedy revision of the TUPE regulations to include especially a redundancy option for those to be transferred which might be taken by those affected together with any attendant procedures relevant to their present conditions of service.
Information Technology Services
REMITTED
AP26 Payment on time
That this annual conference takes steps:
to lobby [the] Labour government for new legislation covering those delinquent employers who do not pay their employees on time;
to ensure that those employees who work under a temporary contract of employment have a legal right, not only in theory but also in practice, to be paid by the employer within 30 days, with particular reference to those employees who are also classified as self-employed for tax purposes, such as actors and artists in the entertainments industry;
[so] that those employers who flout this proposed legislation will face effective late payment fines.
Film Artistes
CARRIED
AP27 Design "pitching"
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to make arrangements for guidelines to be prepared, to prevent abuse by production companies of the design "pitching" process.
Art Department
CARRIED
AP28 Competent personnel
That this annual conference proposes the introduction of an approved list of competent Art Department personnel to ensure both safety in the workplace and quality of service.
Art Department
REMITTED
EP1 Chechnya
This annual Conference calls on BECTU to urge the British Government to do everything in its power to ensure the Russian Government's Compliance with the Council of Europe Resolution. (The Council of Europe has suspended Russia until it calls a ceasefire in Chechnya and starts political negotiations). And furthermore to take all necessary steps to ensure free access and safety for the Red Cross and other agencies to work for the relief of the people of Chechnya and the 200,000 refugees who have been driven into neighbouring countries.
Camera Branch LPD.
CARRIED
Royal Opera House
South West Freelance