Divisional business
222 The LPD committee has met regularly through the past year. Despite continuing problems in the wider labour movement, and in our sector, the division has proved remarkably cohesive. All of its meetings have been not just quorate but well attended. The quality of debate remains high. Broad industrial issues, as well as branch issues, have been addressed effectively. The division has played an active role in the wider affairs of the union. For instance, the union's successful proposition on Working Time - now part of TUC policy - was initiated by LPD's Film & Tape Editing branch.
223 The Divisional Conference took place at Congress House in September 1999. The division continues to believe that, given that all of its members are London-based, its own annual conference should also be in London.
224 The LPD committee played an active role in the debate on the Structure Working Party Report, and convened a special meeting of branch officers for this purpose. Its views, plus contributions from the Camera Department and Animation branch were submitted to the NEC. Despite criticising some aspects of the report, the division felt it was a good start and thanked the Working Party for its work.
225 The Film Policy Committee has continued to meet regularly as a subcommittee of the divisional committee. It addresses policy issues affecting the feature film sector including training, production and funding trends, government policy, national institutions (such as the new Film Council) and European issues.
Proposition 27/00 (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
226 Procedures for consulting Branches on Work Permit Applications have been discussed and clarified. The union retains a useful relationship with the Department for Education and Employment.
227 A new Modelmakers branch was established during the past year, and is functioning well, giving us a new presence in this important and highly-skilled area.
Industrial issues
228 The industrial picture in London in the past year has been dominated by two issues: continuing battles over working time and holiday entitlement and the Commercials dispute.
229 The Commercials Agreement with the AFVPA is a three-year agreement, and came up for renewal in 1999. Talks went smoothly until July 2000, when the employers suddenly tabled a slate of demands for radical and regressive changes to the Agreement. Following consultation with members, and a mass meeting at Ealing Studios in September, we instituted a policy of working to the strict terms of the agreement. This has been very successful and members working in commercials are to be congratulated. At the time of writing we are back in negotiation with the AFVPA. Most of the demands they tabled in July have been withdrawn and we are making progress.
230 LPD covers many companies with permanently employed members, or 'ongoing' engagement of freelances. As the government's Fairness at Work legislation comes online we aim to increase this coverage. During the year we have successfully recruited and strengthened our position at APTN, De Lane Lea, and at Racetech where we are already recognised for technical grades and are now seeking recognition on behalf of administrative staff. In all these cases recruitment was based on an established presence and/or an industrial issue or dispute. Other companies concerned include Aardman Animation, Mentorn Barraclough Carey, Pearson TV, Planet 24, and Shepperton Studios.
231 Two important issues have faced the Film Artistes branch over the past year. Firstly, the scope of the PACT/FAA Agreement is still under discussion, and secondly, the FAA has played a major role in the consultation process on the proposed Agencies Act, feeding in members' views to the TUC and DTI.
Proposition 28/00 (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;
Film Artistes
232 Talks are also under way with PACT on correcting the position of Stagehands on the PACT ratecard.
Regional Production division
Divisional business
233 Discussion at RPD committee during the past year has, as always, been lively, and the Divisional Committee has addressed industrial and branch issues, as well as participating actively in wider union business. It contributed to the important debate on the Structure Working Party Report and made a submission to the NEC.
234 During the past year RPD has also sought to develop its own Industrial Strategy document. This is a rolling process, involving debate at both divisional and branch levels. Work continues in 2000.
Industrial activity
235 The regional ITV companies and BBC centres continue to provide much of the employment of regionally-based freelance members. Agreed rates for some freelance members effectively exist at certain sites including Anglia, Scottish Television, HTV and BBC Northern Ireland. Elsewhere, established going rates and conditions exist. On several occasions regional freelance members have taken action to defend their rates by refusing to enter into inadequate contracts, the latest example being BBC news crews in Northern Ireland.
236 The single most important formal agreement affecting regional freelances across the UK is the PACT Freelance Production Agreement (see above).
237 BECTU also has an Agreement with TAC, the association for independent producers working in the Welsh language production sector. At the time of writing the union is about to enter negotiations with TAC to revise and update this Agreement.
238 RPD covers many companies with permanently employed members, or 'ongoing' engagement of freelances. As the Government's Fairness at Work legislation comes on stream we aim to increase this coverage. During the year we have been involved in several disputes, including Mersey TV and Peak Practice, which have led to recruitment and a stronger industrial position. We are also active in the animation sector, particularly at Aardman Animation.
239 Looking to the future, the new Restricted Service Licences (RSLs) will pose a challenge. These are time-limited local (not regional) licences regulated by the Independent Television Commission. We have co-operated with the NUJ on problems at the Oxford Channel, where staff appear to be poorly paid or even unpaid. At the time of writing a new wave of licences across the UK is being granted.
Member services
240 As in previous years, printed directories have been produced in the nations and regions, through a variety of arrangements with partner organisations in the industry. Regionally-based freelances will also benefit from access to The Knowledge website when agreement is reached (see paragraph 216 above).
Laboratories division
241 The division continues to function well, with ten monthly meetings a year. A special meeting was convened earlier in the year to look at the major technological changes looming on the horizon which could effectively end the processing of film. This is a fiercely competitive industry and it was widely accepted that whichever of the 'Big Two' labs won the Columbia contract there would be redundancies in the other. In the event Rank/DeLuxe won the contract. Technicolor announced redundancies - but so did Rank/DeLuxe.
242 Soho Images, traditionally the 'little lab in Soho which processes commercials and rushes', has now moved into feature film processing.
243 Film Labs North in Leeds, once part of the Rank empire, was sold to Yorkshire Television and continues to flourish.
244 There have been redundancies at Reuters, due in the main to the introduction of multi-skilling.
245 One of the few places to experience growth has been the National Film and Television Archive at Berkhamsted. 30 jobs have been created there with Lottery monies.
246 DeLuxe Video is experiencing fierce competition from elsewhere in Europe, and has had a difficult year with some redundancies in the administration section.
247 Pay rises across the division were between zero and 5%. Technicolor and Metrocolor had no pay increase at all. Three labs retain the cost of living bonus.
Area/National Committees
Ireland
248 This committee met once during 1999. The primary reason for this meeting was to discuss motions and delegates to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Scotland
249 The committee met on four occasions throughout 1999. It recommended to the NEC delegates and motions for the STUC congress, the Scottish Labour Party Conference and the Scottish Labour Women's Conference.
250 It has campaigned through the Scottish FEU and the STUC to the Scottish Parliament on issues ranging from the minimum wage to the Davies report on the BBC. Meetings have been undertaken with MSPs and Ministers on a range of cultural issues.
251 The committee also continues to bring forward to divisions ideas and proposals on recruitment and continues to promote BECTU to outside bodies and potential members at every opportunity.
Wales
252 This committee met three times in 1999. In addition to discussing important issues, such as recruitment and freelances at the BBC, the committee recommended to the NEC delegates to attend the Wales TUC Conference and for the first time delegates to attend the Wales Labour Party Conference.
English regions
253 The North West/Cumbria Area Committee, the Yorkshire/North Area Committee, the Western Area Committee and the South West Area Committee have not met this year. The Midlands Area Committee met once.