NEC Report to BECTU 2002 Conference paragraphs 1-34
The National Executive Committee
1 The National Executive Committee has, since conference 2001, met on the following dates: in 2001, on the 3 June, 15 July, 26 August, 7 October, 27 October, 18 November; in 2002, on the 6 January, 26 January, 10 February, 24 March, 28 April, 17 May.
2 The members of the National Executive Committee elected with effect from the 21 May 2000 were: Jack Amos, Sean Barker, Helene Bevan, Tudor Gates, Pete Harding, Tony Lennon, Lynn Lloyd, Andy Love, Peter Martin, Turlough MacDaid, Jack McNairn, Gino Najera, Tony Scott, John Sealey, Margaret Watts.
3 Ian Williams was elected to represent the Independent Broadcasting division on the 2 July 2000 following a by-election that was held because there were originally insufficient nominations from that division.
4 Helene Bevan, a long-standing member of BECTU and NATTKE, died on the 13 September 2001. Peter Cox, as the highest runner-up in the London Production division, became a member of the National Executive Committee from the 7 October 2001.
5 The General Officers elected on the 21 May 2000 under rule 33(b) as it stood at the time, namely, by the National Executive Committee from among its own numbers, were Tony Lennon (President), Jack Amos (Vice-President), and Turlough MacDaid (Treasurer).
6 The National Executive Committee has put into effect the rule change agreed by the union's 2001 annual conference in respect of the election of BECTU's President for the 2002-2004 term of office, and the result of that election will be declared just before the close of this conference.
7 Elections were held in March and April 2002 for members of the National Executive Committee for the 2002-2004 term of office. The results for divisions where elections were uncontested were reported in Branch Circular 626. The results of the contested elections will be declared just before the close of this conference.
Obituaries
8 The union's journal up to its March 2002 issue has recorded that the following members and/or employees of BECTU, or its founder unions, have passed away during the course of the year: Molly Arbuthnot, Brian Bassett, Michael Bassett, John Bastin, Vi Bebb, Paul Beeson, Helene Bevan, Roy Boulting, Pat Brennan, Allan Bryce, James Buchan, Jenny Danks, 'Splinters' Deason, Dizzy Downes, Frank Fahy, Norman Fisher, Philip Geoghegan, Frank Graves, John Hamilton, Trevor Hodgkinson, George Howe, Ken Hughes, Ronald Keeble, Bob Lawrence, Ken Little, Jenny Macarthur, Gino Marotta, Alan Martin, Gerry Massy-Collier, Jack Maxted, Beryl Mortimer, Danny O'Brien, Peter Sargent, Vernon Sewell, Adrian Simpson, George Stevenson, Peter Stroud, Clive Upton, Bob Walker, Ken Weston, Sheila Wilson, Manny Yospa.
Conference
9 The minutes of the annual conference of BECTU held in Eastbourne on the 12 May 2001 were circulated to branches in branch circulars 608 and 608a dated 16 and 24 May 2001. The propositions carried and remitted at that conference, and the action taken on them by the National Executive Committee, are given in Appendix A to this report.
10 Tim Pittway and Mary Corner were elected to the Appeals Committee at conference 2001. Branch Circular 609 invited branches to submit nominations to fill the three vacancies on the Appeals Committee left unfilled. The following valid nominations were received: Edna Hewitson, Trevor David George Owen, William John Perry, Mark Scrimshaw, Crispin P Woodcock. In accordance with the provisions of rule 26(c), at its meeting on the 15 July 2001 the National Executive Committee decided upon the appointments by the drawing of lots. The successful candidates were Trevor Owen, William Perry and Cris Woodcock.
11 Also at its meeting on the 15 July 2001 the National Executive Committee agreed to refer to the Disciplinary Committee a complaint from a member against another concerning an incident alleged to have occurred at conference 2001. The Disciplinary Committee met on 18 September 2001 to consider the complaint, following which it reported to the National Executive Committee that the complainant had not enabled it to carry out its functions and the complaint accordingly fell. The National Executive Committee noted the Disciplinary Committee's report at its meeting on the 7 October 2001, and no further action was taken.
12 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 3 June 2001 decided to hold the union's 2002 conference in Manchester. It further decided to hold the union's 2003 conference in Eastbourne on the 17 May 2003. It also decided to explore the feasibility of holding conferences after 2003 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Proposition 1/02 (AP1) Location of conference
That this annual conference instructs the NEC to convene an annual conference in London at least once every three years.
Proposition 2/02 (AP2) Location of conference
That this annual conference requests the NEC to look for a location for the 2004 BECTU conference outside England, with Ireland as the preferred choice.
13 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 3 June 2001 considered the conference delegation statistics from 1993 to 2001. Those statistics are as follows:
| Conf | Total m'ship* | Total delegates | % of m'ship | Men | Women | Women % |
| 1993 | 42,092 | 217 | 0.516 | 170 | 47 | 21.65 |
| 1994 | 36,501 | 200 | 0.548 | 148 | 52 | 26.00 |
| 1995 | 27,176 | 173 | 0.637 | 132 | 41 | 23.70 |
| 1996 | 29,357 | 192 | 0.654 | 157 | 35 | 18.23 |
| 1997 | 29,835 | no conference | ||||
| 1998 | 29,243 | 193 | 0.660 | 146 | 47 | 24.35 |
| 1999 | 28,128 | 188 | 0.668 | 143 | 45 | 23.94 |
| 2000 | 24,728 | 157 | 0.635 | 116 | 41 | 26.11 |
| 2001 | 25,799 | 145 | 0.562 | 111 | 34 | 23.45 |
* as at 31 December the preceding year (NB: records were overhauled in 1994)
14 The National Executive Committee again decided to follow the practice of issuing a questionnaire to delegates who attended the union's 2001 annual conference but this time included those branches which had not been represented at the union's 2001 annual conference. The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 15 July 2001 considered the summary of the response which was as follows:
A total of 45 branches responded to the questionnaire in Branch Circular 610 by the closing date of Friday 13 July 2001. This is roughly an 18% response rate (based on the number of active branches - around 250), which in a trade union election ballot would not be too disappointing. (Less than 15% of active branches were actually represented at conference in May 2001.) However, it gives a rather low statistical base from which to extrapolate overall percentages, so the following findings should be treated with caution
Branches which WERE NOT represented
21 responses were received out of the 179 branches with secretaries which were not represented at the 2001 conference. Four of these respondents said they were the only branch officer, and six said they were an acting or caretaker branch officer. This suggests that the absence of an active branch secretary in 48% of these unrepresented branches is a major factor. (There are 214 branches out of a total of 462 which are known to have no secretary, and 121 branches which have fewer than ten members and are therefore ineligible to send delegates without NEC sanction.) However, only four respondents said that inability to hold a branch or branch committee meeting was a reason for non-representation.
The main reason for non-representation seems to be lack of interest in attending conference. Twelve respondents (57%) said that no member willing to be a delegate could be found. This suggests that in the remaining 43% of unrepresented branches no effort was even made to find a delegate.
Five respondents (three of whom were based in the north of England and one in Scotland) found Eastbourne an inconvenient location for the 2001 conference. Six (nearly a third of the total) said that the date was inconvenient - and it did clash with the FA Cup Final.
Other reasons for non-representation were all in a small minority. Of these the only factors attracting more than one response (in fact, two responses) were delegates having to cancel and employers not allowing time off.
More than half (eleven) the responding branches unrepresented in 2001 said they expected to be represented in Manchester in 2002, which is moderately encouraging. Four said they were unlikely to be, and four said the answers given this year would apply again next.
Branches which WERE represented
24 responses were received out of the 69 branches which were represented at the 2001 conference. 18 of these (75%) were from people who had themselves been delegates. Some branch organisational difficulty was still evident among represented branches: three respondents said they were the only branch officer, and three said they were an acting or caretaker officer.
Four branches reported difficulty in finding delegates, and six (25%) said they did not appoint all the delegates they were entitled to (in actual fact only 24% of all branches eligible to be represented - membership of 10 or more - are entitled to more than one delegate). Five respondents said that at least one of their delegates had to cancel.
Other responses were not statistically significant, though three branches said they found Eastbourne a difficult location (13% as compared with 25% of unrepresented branches).
23 respondents (all except one) said their branch would be sending delegates to Manchester in 2002, and none said they would be unlikely to. Eight (a third) said the answers given this year would probably apply again next. Taken together with the response on these questions from branches which were unrepresented in 2001, this suggests we should anticipate a slightly increased representation next year.
Financial
15 The union continued to operate under the provisions of a facility agreement between BECTU and Unity Trust Bank. The facilities BECTU currently has with the bank are (1) a loan facility of £3.3 million which will be fully drawn down by the end of 2002 and (2) an overdraft facility of £50,000.
16 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 7 October 2001 endorsed the income and expenditure forecast for 2002, which is attached to this report as Appendix B.
Membership
17 Branch officers are provided with a quarterly report showing new members, cessations, rejoiners and branch transfers, and their assistance in keeping the data up-to-date is much appreciated. Statistical reports are supplied to paid officials for recruitment monitoring, and to the NEC. Officials, the NEC and divisional committees are provided with a leavers and joiners report and a branch analysis each month. From January 2002 the divisions are also being advised on the membership movements on an employer basis.
18 The Miller Technology database installed in March 1999 has undergone a long period of ironing-out of inconsistencies and modifications to meet new requirements. The statistical decline in membership is partly a genuine net loss of members, but is also a result of the system's more rigorous application of the paid-up criteria. The gap between "paid-up" members (i.e. those with no more than eight weeks of arrears who have full rights under the rules) and "current" members (i.e. including those with more than eight weeks of arrears who are still members but whose rights are restricted under the rules pending compliance) has narrowed significantly.
19 Major software modules which became available on the database in the last year include those used for election and industrial action ballots, and for the new banded subscription scale. At the time of writing a module for handling new entrants' and graduates' one-year reduced subscription rate is ready for testing. The conference administration module has been used successfully at the 2000 and 2001 conferences, for travel and accommodation lists, branch voting strengths, voting cards, conference ID badges and delegate registration, though neither conference called for a card vote. Whether the 2002 conference will test that part of the module remains to be seen.
Refusal of membership
20 Under rule 6(f) the National Executive Committee is required to report to conference cases where membership is refused. At its meeting on the 24 March 2002 the National Executive Committee resolved to discontinue the membership of Paul Tomlinson, formerly of the Royal National Theatre branch, on the grounds that he was no longer employed in an occupation covered by rule 6(a).
Electoral Reform Services
21 The contract BECTU had for two years with Electoral Reform Services for membership and subscription processing came to an end in September 2001. ERS had previously indicated that they intended to reduce their commitment to this type of membership service. Tenders were invited from other companies, but in June 2001 the NEC decided that bringing the service back in-house was the best option in terms of both cost-effectiveness and security. This was particularly so since the staff at ERS who had handled the BECTU contract were in a position to transfer to BECTU, and in September Ann Millington took up the new post of Membership Manager, followed the next month by Chris Waters and Richard Noble as Database Information Clerks. Gabi Klösters took up redefined duties at the same time as Database Administrator.
Membership cards
22 The NEC has long been aware of members' dissatisfaction with the present type of membership card. The current issue is due to expire at the end of 2002, and the opportunity is being taken to switch to a more robust credit-card type of membership card with laser printed personalisation, in two colours front and back. Cards effective from January 2003 will be printed and distributed on BECTU's instructions by one of the specialist companies that had tendered for the full range of membership services, Ashley Forms. Cards will be accompanied by a union benefits leaflet and an equality monitoring questionnaire. This questionnaire will form the basis of the Mapping the Membership exercise referred to elsewhere in this report.
Breakdown of members and subscription income by division
Members
| Division | Members | 2001 Conf. + or - |
| A&E | 5,732 | -461 |
| BBC | 6,079 | -679 |
| IB | 3,097 | +38 |
| Labs | 695 | -85 |
| LPD | 5,771 | -60 |
| FAA (LPD) | 551 | +5 |
| RPD | 2,706 | +74 |
| Overseas | 89 | +5 |
| Student Linkup | 144 | -36 |
Subscription income
| Division | Income | 2001 Conf. + or - | Average subs.
(2001 Conference + or -) |
| A&E | £451,145 | -£7,447 | £78.71 (+£4.66) |
| BBC | £1,467,580 | -£42,760 | £241.42 (+£17.93) |
| IB | £482,109 | -£2,208 | £155.67 (-£2.66) |
| Labs | £124,252 | +£6,056 | £178.78 (+£27.25) |
| LPD | £777,911 | -£47,035 | £134.80 (-£6.68) |
| FAA (LPD) | £28,238 | -£3,621 | £51.25 (-£7.10) |
| RPD | £349,894 | +£5,385 | £129.30 (-£1.59) |
| Overseas | £4,070 | -£399 | £45.73 (-£7.47) |
| Student Linkup | £1,440 | £3,360 | £10 (-) |
24 Membership statistics
| 2001 Conf. + or - | ||
| Total paid up membership of BECTU on 31 December 2001 | 24,864 | - 935 |
| Income for 2001 | £3,685,199 | - £92,029 |
| Average subscription paid | £148.21 | +£3.28 |
| 2000 | 2001 | |
| % of income spent on staff | 48.19% | 49.2% |
| Membership churn | 8.8% | 25.4% |
| Members paying by Deductions at Source (DAS) | 44.76% | 42.54% |
| Members paying by Direct Debit (DD) | 35.44% | 40.86% |
| Members paying by Standing Order (SO) | 10.06% | 7.82% |
| Members paying directly | 9.74% | 8.20% |
Data protection
25 The remaining key provisions of the 1998 Data Protection Act took effect on 24 October 2001. The union had already agreed rules changes in anticipation of this at the annual conference in May 2001. BECTU gave statutory notification to the Information Commissioner in August 2001. In the September 2001 issue of Stage Screen & Radio a data protection notice, as required by the Act, was given to all existing members. This identified BECTU as a data controller, and described the ways in which the union might process information on members. In particular it dealt with the processing of "sensitive personal data" which under the Act includes not only obviously sensitive issues such as health or criminal convictions, but also the sheer fact of trade union membership. Types of processing which the union was not contemplating at this time, but which it might conceivably use at some time in the future, also had to be covered, such as contacting members by SMS (short message service, or "texting"). The notice also provided a means whereby members can opt out of receiving direct mailings which could be described as marketing, such as those promoting the BECTU/TUC credit card.
26 The data protection notice will be published regularly to existing members, and new membership application forms carry a notice to similar effect for the benefit of new members.
27 One area of concern, however, is the processing of membership information at local branch level. If data are collected independently by branch officers, and include information that is not processed centrally by the union (such as contributions to branch welfare funds), then it is likely that the branch itself will be regarded as a data controller and should notify the Information Commissioner under the Act. On the other hand, if the union centrally supplies the branch with information, the branch is acting as a data processor on behalf of the union; the union centrally will be liable if the branch breaches any of the Data Protection Principles by, for instance, disclosing data to an unauthorised third party. Guidance for branches is being drawn up at the time of writing, but in the meantime any branch which has doubts about the way in which it may be processing personal data about members should seek advice from head office.
28 Pending the guidance just mentioned, caution over data protection continues to affect the union's ability to exchange membership information with branch officers by e-mail, particularly if the branch officers are using an e-mail domain provided (and potentially monitored) by their employer. It is also worth noting that since 24 October last year paper files are also covered by the Data Protection Act.
Subscriptions
29 The 2001 annual conference of the union agreed to change significantly the union's subscription structure and put into place a banded system for all members paying their subscriptions by direct debit. It also agreed to the first step in introducing a cap for members of £400 per annum. The new subscription structure came into effect on the 1 January 2002. Members whose subscriptions were due to be increased were written to in November 2001. They were advised of the increase that was to take place in January 2002 and informed of the procedure to be followed if they wished to appeal against the increase.
30 At the time of writing the result of members' appeals was as follows:
| Outcome | Members |
| Member asks to increase subs | 63 |
| Appeals upheld | 71 |
| Appeals pending | 15 |
| Resignations | 70 |
| DD cancelled (= resignation) | 84 |
| Retirements | 12 |
| Membership lodged | 22 |
| Maternity leave | 3 |
| SO converted to DD | 216 |
| TOTAL | 556 |
31 A concerted campaign was run to move members from standing orders to direct debits. Over 10% of those previously paying by standing order transferred to direct debit. It was also agreed with the BBC that they could now accommodate the introductory subscription offer as part of the deductions at source arrangements. This is now our preferred method of collecting subscriptions in the BBC Division.
32 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 18 November 2001 agreed to extend the introductory subscription offer of £10 a month for members employed by Sky and the subtitling company ITFC until the end of December 2002.
Life and honorary membership
33 The National Executive Committee has, since the union's annual conference in 2001, awarded life membership to: Ronald Appleton, D R Banks, Gordon Barry, Alan Bell, A J Cooper, Geoffrey Evans, Anthony Fowles, Norman Haberfield, Lorraine Hodges, Elizabeth Mitchell, Edward Moore, Golda Offenheim, Sandor Olah, Keith Pamplin, John Parris, Roy Pembrooke, Helen Pritchard, Tim Warburton, Derek Waterman, Philip Waterton.
34 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 26 January 2002 decided to recommend that conference make the posthumous award of honorary membership to Helene Bevan. At its meeting on the 24 March 2002 it decided to recommend to conference that Dennis Fraser be awarded honorary membership.