BBC, Independent Broadcasting, and Arts & Entertainment: recruitment overview
157 With redundancies and restructuring continuing at a pace across the BBC and ITV and the National Lottery grants resulting in the closure of many national and regional theatres, it is necessary to have a major recruitment campaign across all our areas in order to stand still, let alone increase membership. The strategy adopted means all the major cities in the UK outside of London will be visited four times during 1999 by two officials for two days, concentrating on BBC, IB and A&E venues. Recruitment stalls, surgeries and open meetings were organised in advance of visits. In London full weeks were set aside for recruitment in the BBC, ITV sites, Sky TV, West End Theatres and Cinemas. The visits have up to now been well received, recruitment figures are up and the union profile has increased.
158 Comparing the paid up membership between December 1997 and December 1998 showed the BBC membership up by 38, the IB membership down by 55 and A&E down by 417.
Arts & Entertainment Division
159 In general, the main activities of the Arts and Entertainment Division concerned dealing with the temporary or permanent closure of venues, minimising redundancy proposals and implementing the Working Time Regulations.
TMA Sub-division
160 Our collective agreement with the Theatrical Management Association determines minimum pay rates and conditions of employment for regional theatres. Pay rates increased by 3.3% with a further increase in April for lower paid staff. Negotiations on incorporating the Working Time Regulations into the agreement ensured that members are eligible for paid compensatory rest when rest break entitlements are infringed.
161 As well as coping with the effects of cutbacks in Arts Council and Local Authority funding, members continue to suffer as a consequence of theatres' successful bids for lottery funding. In such situations we aim to minimise the number of redundancies, maximise redundancy terms, and secure re-engagement of staff.
162 The membership of the TMA has been bolstered by Apollo Leisure theatres joining the organisation. This may be offset by the Federation of Scottish Theatres resigning from membership, a move which they feel will result in the Scottish theatre industry having a more effective voice within the Scottish Parliament.
CWET Sub-division
163 The Commercial West End Theatres branch has a collective agreement with the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) which determines minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for staff employed in West End theatres. We are in the second year of a three year pay deal which guarantees annual pay increases in excess of inflation.
164 The implementation of the Working Time Regulations has ensured eligibility for paid compensatory rest; an innovative training strategy is being developed and the possibility of opening West End theatres on Sundays is under consideration.
National Houses Sub-division
165 In 1998 the Eyre Review into the future of the provision of lyric theatre in London published its findings. It found against the Royal Opera and Ballet sharing the Covent Garden site with English National Opera, as had originally been proposed. The case was presented for increased levels of public subsidy, but only if there was an improvement in the management of the organisations.
Royal Opera House
166 In September 1998, the ROH announced its intention to cease its current activities in the following January, have minimal activity until the redeveloped theatre re-opened, and to present about two thirds of the number of productions previously presented. BECTU was told that all staff agreements would have to be re-negotiated, or members face dismissal.
167 Negotiations minimised the effects of the company proposals with arrangements for lay-off pay agreed.
English National Opera
168 A 3% pay increase for administration staff was agreed and a new agreement for production staff was introduced.
169 Negotiations on new agreements for ancillary staff, and for temporary and permanent technical running staff appear to be on a collision course. The company proposals would cut members' income in return for more work.
Royal National Theatre
170 In 1998, the company imposed a 3% pay increase on BECTU recognised grades as negotiations stalled. The 1999 negotiations continue in a climate of mutual acrimony with management proposals aimed at cutting wages.
Royal Shakespeare Company
171 A 3% pay increase for staff at both Stratford and London was agreed, along with some improvements in conditions of employment. A major concern is the deterioration in the company's finances.
Arts Centres Sub-division
172 The industry is afflicted by the same combination of subsidy cuts that results in redundancies in regional theatres. The newly formed Sub-divisional Committee continues to co-ordinate activity, especially in relation to training and pension provision.
Leisure Sub-division
173 The main areas of activity within the bingo industry concern local negotiation with the few companies within which we are recognised, and representing members on an individual basis.
Virgin Cinemas Sub-division
174 1998 saw a major dispute with the company which was eventually resolved with conciliation at ACAS. A two-year pay deal was agreed, in principle, together with a commitment to renegotiate the collective agreement.
Odeon Cinemas Sub-division
175 A 4.25% pay increase was agreed with the company, along with some changes to conditions of employment. A working party was examining the collective agreement.
ABC Cinemas Sub-division
176 The company has continued to rationalise its operation with cinema closures inevitably leading to redundancies. A lump sum pay award and a one hour reduction in hours of work was negotiated with the company.
Proposition 22/99 'Job-sharing' of voluntary committee posts (AP8)
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
BBC Division
BBC 1998 dispute
177 After several months of negotiations, BECTU balloted for strike action over the BBC failure to meet the union demands over:
- the creation of Resources Limited
- job security/multiskilling
178 Even though the union opposed the creation of Resources Limited, it was beginning to look as if the government were about to agree to the BBC proposal and therefore BECTU wanted assurances on job security and conditions of service which guaranteed terms no less favourable than those on offer across the remainder of the BBC. The second item in dispute was the BBC refusal to give protection of employment to those whose jobs have disappeared because of multiskilling and new ways of working. The ballot result of the 13 May 1998 gave the union claim a major boost and the union announced two 24 hour stoppages. The 24 hour strike on the 9 June stopped the transmission of most of the BBC flagship programmes on radio and television.
179 The day after the strike, the unions were invited to ACAS, and after three days of conciliation a package was negotiated and approved by the membership by a vote of 2,161 to 237 in a postal ballot. The agreement gave the union assurances that:
- The creation of Resources Limited would not result in any
changes in conditions of service before August 2000 and then other
items such as pensions will not be changed for Resources staff
unless they are changed for all BBC staff.
- A total amount of £2.5 million would be spent on re-training
those whose jobs had been made redundant.
- A six month period for redeployment where individuals would
remain on the payroll while trying to find alternative employment
inside the BBC.
- No loss in basic income for those who found alternative employment but at lower pay.
BBC pay
180 A 4% pay award with a minimum increase of £500 was imposed in August 1998. The unions rejected the offer because it was significantly less than the average increase given to executive managers. A half day strike with rallies across the country took place on the 20 October 1998 protesting at the double standards. The 1999 claim was submitted in February and is currently under negotiation.
Independent Broadcasting
ITV Pay Campaign
181 The campaign to rebuild our organisation in the ITV companies focused on the resurgence of the joint shops negotiating committees and the central issue of pay has continued into 1999. For the second year in succession, after a significant lull, claims were submitted in each company which put the spotlight on the drift between increases in the sector and the rise in average earnings. That focus has brought new confidence to the branches. The negotiations which followed prompted disputes involving members at STV, Grampian, Granada, LWT, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees.
Scottish Media Group
182 The dispute at the Scottish Media Group threatened industrial action during the 1998 Christmas/New Year period but was averted by a significant agreement on no compulsory redundancies during 1999.
Granada Media Group
183 The dispute with the Granada Media Group, which employs more than 35% of the ITV membership, was prompted by a failure of the Group to permit effective negotiations at company level on the joint unions' claim. A 21% increase in Group profits to £255 million and an average increase for Directors of 14% resulted in a Group-wide offer to staff of just 0.5% above inflation (3.6%). Strike action commenced with a two-hour stoppage at all sites on the 26 February, followed by continuous industrial action, based on a maximum 12 hour break between turns of duty, from the 1 March 1999.
Transmission
184 BECTU has full collective bargaining agreements with the three transmission operators in the UK: NTL, CTI and Merlin Communications. Each company continues to grow and the recruitment opportunities are good.
ITV pay campaigns
185 1998 saw the return of the Joint Shops negotiating bodies set up across the ITV network. For the first time in several years pay and conditions claims were submitted to all the ITV companies and negotiations took place. 1998/9 has already seen disputes at STV, Grampian, Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne-Tees and LWT. The joint unions will continue to campaign for better pay, a reduction in working hours and a move to permanent employment instead of short-term employment.
Regulatory Authorities
186 Membership in the Independent Television Commission and the Radio Authority remains steady. The union tackled the ITC on its shortcomings as a regulator in an lead article in Stage Screen & Radio published in February 1999.
Intelfax
187 In January 1999 BECTU signed a recognition agreement with Intelfax, a provider of subtitling services. Development work continues to secure a similar agreement with Independent Facilities Centre Ltd.
Industrial activity in BBC, IB and A&E
188 Most of the National Officials are working across at least two and sometimes three divisions. This allows BECTU to give the best service possible with the reduced staff. The recruitment campaign helps with the union's profile. However, it is our industrial strategy which will ensure that those who are in the union remain in it and those who are not join. In addition to pay the chief issues across the Division continue to be job security and the abuse of short-term contracts, out-sourcing and the unmanaged introduction of multi-skilling. We are developing our strategy on digital broadcasting and the new channels. We also want to exploit the opportunities provided by the Fairness at Work legislation across the Division. We want organised areas to benefit from the new climate of partnership and we also want to see advances in weaker areas such as Radio, and Cable and Satellite where progress has been hampered by a combination of instability within the sector, fragmentation or restructuring and pressures on resources.