61 BECTU's delegates to the 1999 Trade Union Congress were the General Secretary, President, Helene Bevan, Turlough MacDaid, Jack Amos and Mark David-Gray. BECTU successfully submitted two motions to Congress. The first called upon the TUC to give its full support to BECTU in its challenge to the government's interpretation of the Working Time Directive, and the second called upon the TUC to oppose the Davies Committee recommendations on the privatisation of BBC Resources and the selling off of BBC Worldwide.
62 The General Secretary reported to the NEC at its meeting on the 4 July 1999 that the TUC General Council had decided to exercise its powers given to it under TUC rules and to amend the rule dealing with the composition of the General Council to provide that for the election to take place at the 1999 Congress there shall be seven seats in the section for unions with fewer than 100,000 members. This decision was welcomed by the NEC.
63 The TUC called a special General Council meeting at Stoke Rochdale in October 1999 to which the General Secretaries of all TUC-affiliated unions were invited. The purpose of this special meeting was to discuss how the TUC could be restructured to face the challenges it will have to deal with in the new millennium. Although this process has not yet come to a conclusion, the NEC have welcomed the attempts by the TUC to develop a more inclusive structure to ensure the voices of all affiliated unions are heard.
64 BECTU, in association with other members of the Federation of Entertainment Unions, ran a fringe meeting at the 1999 Trades Union Congress to highlight the dangers to public service broadcasting in the UK posed by the Davies Committee recommendations.
65 The NEC at its meeting on the 12 December 1999 decided that BECTU should be represented at the TUC Women's Conference 2000 by Joyce Williams, Rose McDonald, Helene Bevan, Roma Widger, Si�n Gale and Nicky Allan.
66 Matthew Bennett took over from Mark Davis in representing BECTU on the TUC Youth Forum and was the union's delegate to the TUC Youth Conference in 1999 and 2000.
67 The union was well represented by Alfred Campbell, Joyce Williams, Albey George, Rose McDonald, Cedric Robertson and Alvin Adjei at the 1999 TUC Black Workers' Conference, but regrettably the NEC has not been able to find anyone able to represent BECTU at either the 1999 or 2000 TUC Gay and Lesbian Conference.
68 BECTU was represented at the 1999 conferences of the Scottish TUC and Wales TUC, and at the Northern Ireland Conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The union continues to be represented on the Southern and Eastern Regional Council of the TUC.
Proposition 8/00 (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
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
Proposition 9/00 (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
SOC note The movers of proposition 9 are urged to consider withdrawing it in favour of proposition 10
Proposition 10/00 (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
Labour Party
69 BECTU was represented at the 1999 Labour Party Conference by the President, AGS Gerry Morrissey and Turlough MacDaid. Helene Bevan, originally one of the delegates, was unable to attend due to illness. BECTU was also represented at the conferences of the Scottish Labour Party and, for the first time, the Wales Labour Party.
70 Though BECTU is affiliated to the national Labour Parties it is not affiliated to the Greater London Labour Party. Consequently London members were not entitled to take part in the selection of the Labour candidate in the election of London Mayor.
71 BECTU was represented at the 1999 Labour Party Women's Conference by Helene Bevan, Joyce Williams, Winnie Lowes, Mary Corner and Kate Walker. Matthew Bennett represented BECTU at the 1999 Young Labour Conference.
Proposition 11/00 (AP16) Political affiliation
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to disaffiliate from the Labour Party.
Information Technology Services
Proposition 12/00 (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
SOC note The movers of proposition 12 are urged to consider withdrawing it in favour of proposition 11
Proposition 13/00 (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
Proposition 14/00 (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 condemns 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
International
72 The international labour organisation to which BECTU is affiliated, Media Entertainment International (MEI) amalgamated with the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET), the Communications International (CI), and the International Graphical Federation (IGF) to form a new international trade union body known as Union Network International (UNI). The third world congress of MEI was held in Berlin in October 1999 and BECTU was represented at that congress by the General Secretary, President, Vice-President, Sean Barker and Helene Bevan. It was at the Berlin congress that MEI took the final decision to proceed with the setting up of a new international body.
73 Under the arrangements agreed with the other partners MEI will remain a discrete section of the new international and will retain autonomy over decision making in the sector that it represents.
74 The European Parliamentary elections which took place during the course of 1999 resulted in some significant and unwelcome changes so far as BECTU was concerned. BECTU and the other FEU unions had developed a good working relationship with MEP Carole Tongue who just failed to be re-elected to the European Parliament. Because of the changes in representation in the European Parliament and the changes brought about to the European Commission, the Euro Group which had been convened by BECTU and worked in partnership with a range of other unions and employer organisations, has been dormant for a large part of 1999. BECTU has been putting in the necessary work to reactivate the Euro Group in 2000 and it is again starting to come together as a campaigning body. BECTU has also been working with the British Screen Advisory Council and other interested bodies in relation to the GATS 2000 process which will eventually form the next world trade agreement. BECTU is seeking to ensure that the provisions of the GATS agreement which allowed for special treatment of the European audio/visual industry, are carried forward into the next world trade agreement.
Proposition 15/00 (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
Affiliations
75 BECTU has remained affiliated to the following organisations since last year's conference:
General Fund
Federation of Entertainment Unions £2,500
Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Republic) 46(IR£)
Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Northern Ireland) £636
Scottish TUC £1,556
Trades Union Congress £48,240
Media Entertainment International (50%) £14,867
Political Fund
Action for Southern Africa £150
Amnesty International £127
Arts for Labour £150
British Copyright Council £720
British Film Institute £176
British Screen Advisory Council £3,810
British Standards Institution £176
Campaign for Freedom of Information (variable)
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom £225
City Centre (activities suspended)
Cuba Solidarity Campaign £75
Institute of Employment Rights 200
International Centre for Trade Union Rights £100
Labour Party £24,000
Labour Research Department £639
Mechanics Institute £50
Media Entertainment International (50%) £14,867
Metier £100
National Abortion Campaign £100
National Assembly Against Racism (variable)
National Campaign for the Arts £235
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign £200
Scottish Labour Party £250
Skillset £1,175
Southern and Eastern Regional TUC £250
Theatres Advisory Council £420
Trade Union CND £150
Trade Union Disability Alliance £100
76 Since the last conference the NEC has decided to affiliate to the Scottish Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (£50), the British Pensioners and Trade Union Association (£50), and the Wales Labour Party (£90).
77 During the year the NEC had some concerns about the viability of Trade Union CND, but after assurances were received it resolved, at its meeting on the 5 March 2000, to continue to affiliate to it.
78 BECTU remains affiliated to the TUC, the Scottish TUC and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The NEC at its meeting on the 15 August 1999 decided that the union should now pay the Wales TUC 4p per member per annum for every BECTU member in Wales in view of its status as a nation.
The BECTU banner
79 The NEC at its meeting on the 4 July 1999 decided that BECTU's banner would in future only be used on demonstrations and marches which the union currently supported. On more controversial demonstrations and marches the banner would not be released from head office until the General Secretary had consulted with the General Officers and the General Secretary would report to the Finance & General Purposes Committee any occasion for which permission had been refused to use the banner.
Relations with the NUJ
80 At the BECTU 1999 annual conference the NEC was compelled to oppose a proposition calling upon them to achieve amalgamation with the NUJ by conference 2000. The General Secretary during the conference debate made it clear that he would wish to write to the NUJ and to seek to open sensible talks about the working relationship between the two unions. The NEC agreed at its meeting on the 4 July 1999 that the General Secretary should send a letter to the General Secretary of the NUJ inviting the General Officers of the NUJ to open discussions with BECTU on the subject of amalgamation.
81 A number of meetings took place between the General Officers of the two unions and the following areas have been identified as being suitable for a degree of mutual co-operation: safety, training, copyright, public service broadcasting, European legislation, the status of UK freelance workers, media ownership, TUC matters, joint events and joint meetings of the NEC.
82 The General Officers agreed that the following statement should be submitted to BECTU's 2000 conference:
BECTU and the NUJ are both committed through policy propositions to the establishment of a single media union.This position has been supported by the NUJ's annual delegate meeting and BECTU's annual conference on a number of occasions. There has in the last 30 years been at least two abortive attempts to achieve amalgamation between the NUJ and some of the founding unions of BECTU.
At the start of this new millennium and against the background of a changing industrial climate, rationalisation of affiliated TUC unions, the difficult financial climate under which both unions operate, the history of good working relationships between the two unions, are factors that, taken together, create compelling grounds for both unions to examine more constructively their options and to establish if we can work more closely with the NUJ and achieve an amalgamated or federated structure between the two unions.
The NEC is asking the BECTU 2000 annual conference to agree to establish a joint working party with the NUJ with a view to making recommendations to BECTU's annual conference in 2001 on the details of a federated/amalgamated structure between BECTU and the NUJ.
Conference will be endorsing the convening of discussions to allow a dialogue to take place between BECTU and the NUJ at which both unions will examine the possible economies of scale which can benefit both unions in a federated/amalgamated structure. Within this context General Secretaries of BECTU and the NUJ are recommending to the General Officers of both unions that they agree to immediately recommend to their respective governing bodies that both unions can work together on the following issues:
START="a" type="a">
safety training copyright public service broadcasting European legislation Employment Law status of UK freelance workers media ownership TUC matters joint events joint meetings of Executives
83 However, the General Secretary reported to the meeting of the NEC on the 5 March 2000 that the Executive Committee of the NUJ had, at its meeting on the 4 and 5 February 2000, rejected the proposition of an amalgamated or federated structure with BECTU, and had adopted the following attenuated statement:
The BECTU and NUJ are both committed to the establishment of one media union.This is supported by NUJ Annual Delegate Meeting and BECTU Annual Conference.
There have been at least two abortive attempts at amalgamation between the two union.
The present economic changes within the media mean that we should seriously reconsider our options and the way we can work closer with BECTU.
Any consideration of these options must include keeping the NUJ's clear identity as the Journalists Union. Through the last 20 years, one of the main assets we have had is our "brand name" - the NUJ.
We should work to prepare a report to go to this year's ADM which should examine the economies of scale which can benefit both unions by working together in a significant number of areas.
Suggested areas where both unions can work together immediately for our joint mutual benefits:
START="a" type="a">
Safety
Utilising each union's resources on safety issues, producing joint strategies where we work together and sharing experiences for the benefit of all sectors of our unions.
Training
Sharing experiences and expertise to produce the best representatives in the workplace.
Copyright
Together with point d) is a major issue with both unions. The sharing of experience, resources and strategies will ensure a co-ordinated and more effective approach to these issues.
Public Service Broadcasting
European issues
Employment Law
Both unions have complementary resources which will progress work in areas e), f) and g).
Status of freelance (atypical) workers in relation to European and British legislation.
Working together on questions of media ownership.
Globalisation and monopolisation is an area which requires ongoing co-operation between our unions if we are to respond effectively to these developments. Developments such as the United/Carlton bid is [sic] just one example of how the interests of different sectors of our union and BECTU are brought together and can benefit from joint strategies.
TUC policies, particularly in relation to Media and Employment Law in the UK
A joint approach to TUC policy making will give us more clout and will help ensure our voice is heard.
Joint events
Joint meetings of executives on particular issues
Research.
84 The NEC believes that though there is currently no purpose in pursuing amalgamation discussions, there is still much mutual benefit to be gained in closer working relations with the NUJ, and will continue to develop these.
Proposition 16/00 (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.
- If appropriate, setting up a committee with the objective of consulting with the membership at "grass roots" level
- Providing regular updates in the journal and letters to branches
- Examining and addressing the concerns of BECTU and NUJ members whose spheres of activity are far from the BECTU and NUJ common ground
- On carrying out the above, gauge the feeling of the membership. If and when it feels that the time is right, present a case for seeking amalgamation.
Bush House 2
Proposition 17/00 (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
Federation of Entertainment Unions
85 BECTU has continued to enjoy good working relations with the other FEU unions and the FEU continues to be a productive frame in which to develop joint strategies with Equity, the Musicians' Union, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain, the NUJ and the AEEU.
86 The FEU has had regular meetings with the Director General of the BBC, the Chief Executive of the ITC, the Radio Authority, the British and regional Film Commissions and its affiliated unions have campaigned successfully together on European issues.