NEC Report to BECTU 2003 Conference paragraphs 1-21
The National Executive Committee
1 The National Executive Committee (NEC) has, since conference 2002, met on the following dates: in 2002, on the 27 May, 7 July, 1 September, 13 October, 10 November, 15 December; in 2003, on the 26 January, 9 March, 13 April, 16 May.
2 The first directly elected President of BECTU under rules agreed at the 2001 annual conference is Tony Lennon, whose election with effect from the 26 May 2002 was declared at the close of the 2002 conference.
3 The divisional members of the National Executive Committee elected with effect from the 26 May 2002 are: Jack Amos, Nick Ardizzone, Christine Bond, Tudor Gates, Pete Harding, Alastair Hendrie, Tony Lennon, Andy Love, Turlough MacDaid, Peter Martin, Douglas McGill, Gino Najera, Tim Potter, Robert Scott, Tony Scott, Lawrence Van Reiss. Because of insufficient nominations there was a vacant place for a member from the Independent Broadcasting division.
4 In the by-election to the vacant Independent Broadcasting seat on the NEC, David Reynolds was elected and attended his first meeting on the 1 September 2002.
5 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 26 May 2002 elected Tudor Gates as Vice President and Turlough MacDaid as Treasurer. Tony Lennon, Tudor Gates and Turlough MacDaid are accordingly the General Officers of the union under rule 35.
Proposition 1/03 (AP5) Collective responsibility
That this annual conference, recognising that real debate is stifled by the absence of any contributions by individual members of the National Executive Committee, resulting from the invidious rule of collective responsibility (which is not included in the rule book of the union), affirms its own right to decide who and who not should be allowed to engage in conference debates.
Obituaries
7 The union's journal up to its March 2003 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: John Arnold, Pete Arthy, Colin Bell, Mike Brown, Roy Bryan, Roy Carnon, Roy Colwell, Julie Edward, Roy Field, Phil Finch, Maurice Gillet, Geoff Godbold, Roy Gough, Charles Hass�, Di Hine, Dave Hooker, Peter Hunt, Robert Kitts, Herman (Ben) Knoll, Alan Lawson, Ed Lewis, Martin Maclean, Ian MacNaughton, Bill Mason, Lyndon Matthews, Philip Measure, Bob Penn, David Pitt, Johnny Price, Thomas Raeburn, Francis Searle, Steven Slater, John Wilcox
Conference
8 The minutes of the 2002 rules revision and annual conference in Manchester were circulated to branches on the 24 May 2002 in Branch Circular 632. Propositions carried and remitted at that conference, and the manner in which the NEC has dealt with them, are given in Appendix A.
Proposition 2/03 (AP4) Non-union business
That this annual conference proposes that, despite pressing matters of national and international political concern, discussion time during annual conference should be confined to matters of immediate relevance to working practices and conditions of BECTU members.
9 Conference 2002 agreed that the union's 2003 annual conference should be held in Eastbourne.
10 The National Executive Committee, in considering remitted proposition 2/02 from the 2002 annual conference, has decided that the union's 2004 annual conference should be held in Liverpool. The National Executive Committee gave serious consideration to holding the 2004 conference outside the UK but came to the conclusion that this would not offer good value to delegates or for the union as the 2004 conference will be only a one-day conference.
11 However, the National Executive Committee believe that it may be possible to hold the union's 2005 conference, which is a two-day rules revision and annual conference, in the Republic of Ireland. The National Executive Committee, however, want to make it very clear that if such arrangements were put in place, then there would be severe restrictions placed on the ability of delegates to choose when and/or how they travelled. In order to ensure that such a conference was affordable, head office would need to make block bookings for members to travel at specific times, and there would be little flexibility in respect of these arrangements.
12 The National Executive Committee is therefore offering the following options to conference:
- that the union's 2005 conference should be held in the Republic of Ireland;
- that it should be held in Scotland;
- that it should be held in Eastbourne;
- that it should be held in London.
Irish Republic £116,238
Scotland £155,125
Eastbourne £115,340
London £98,950
These figures include VAT where applicable (17.5% UK, 12.5% Irish Republic). They are based on 2003 costs, and no inflation has been estimated for 2005. Travel costs assume the use of rail and air saver returns. The figures are based on actual quotations from selected venues. Other venues could produce different results.
Proposition 3/03 (AP1) Venue of conference
That this annual conference instructs the National Executive Committee to convene the 2005 annual conference in London.
Proposition 4/03 (AP2) Venue of conference
That this annual conference instructs the National Executive Committee to investigate the feasibility of holding conference in 2005 in other regions or nations, in particular at the Conference Centre in Llandudno in North Wales.
Proposition 5/03 (AP3) Venue of conference
That this annual conference recommends that the National Executive Committee considers a venue outside England for the 2005 conference.
Appeals Committee
13 Mary Corner was the only candidate nominated and elected to the Appeals Committee at conference 2002. The National Executive Committee subsequently invited nominations from branches to fill the four vacancies. As a result the following members were elected to serve on the Appeals Committee: Mark Rivers, Trevor Owen, Cris Woodcock and Paul Kirby.
Financial
14 The National Executive Committee, at its meeting on 1 September 2002 endorsed the income and expenditure forecast for 2003, which is given in Appendix B.
Property project: 373-377 Clapham Road
15 The National Executive Committee completed the purchase of 373-377 Clapham Road, the union's new head office, in June 2002. The property was purchased for £2.4 million. The National Executive Committee at its meeting in May 2002 gave final approval for the refurbishment of Clapham Road. The refurbishment process was carried out through our agents inviting competitive bids for the work. The contract was awarded to an organisation called Spaceworks. The cost of this refurbishment was £264,000 plus VAT. A great deal of planning went into the move from Wardour Street to Clapham Road, and the union moved its head office between the 15 and 22 August 2002, with the head office being effectively closed for business for four days. Emergency contact provisions were set up during that period and the process of the move went extremely well.
16 The total costs of the refurbishment of 373-377 Clapham Road and the move from Wardour Street to Clapham were as follows:
Property deposit £120,00017 When the National Executive Committee held its first meeting at Clapham Road on Sunday 1 September they did so against the background of the General Secretary's report that discussions had taken place between himself and a property developer who was proposing to buy part of the land at the back of the union's new head office. The property developer was proposing to demolish the link block between 373-5 and 377 Clapham Road in order to
Property balance £2,279,850
Stamp duty £96,00
Bank fees £20,000
Surveyors fees £7,458
Solicitors BECTU £15,000
Land Registry £800
Searches £431
Thompsons (Bank solicitors) £3,539 (concerns payment made to bank's solicitors for work undertaken inspecting the contract and valuing the property etc)
HMC £55,207 (normal estate agent's commission paid to the property consultants)
Elizabethan Security £10,834 (payment made to security guarding firm to keep premises secure during period of refurbishment)
Crown Security £6,447 (upgrading of the security alarm system to meet insurance requirements)
Spaceworks £243,400 (payment made to organisation who completed the refurbishment at Clapham)
GBN £9,500 (payment made to removal firm)
Fishers £1,300 (payment made to IT consultants for help with the network IT part of the move)
BT £990 (installation of new telephone lines)
Lambeth £564 (payment for skip hire)
Briton Fire Co £482 (fire alarms at Clapham Road)
Riso £552 (removal and installation of print machine from Wardour Street to Clapham Road)
Albion £300 (removal and installation costs for Apple Mac equipment used by journal editor)
Crystal £2,400 (hire of casual labour for 14 day period to collect and load crates at Wardour Street and distribute at Clapham)
Pitney Bowes £265 (removal and installation of folder/inserter equipment from Wardour Street to Clapham Road)
Easynet £781 (relocation of e-mail and internet system)
Apex Digital £650 (removal and installation of collator machine)
Black Tower £3,000 (payment made to an independent financial adviser who helped to secure a low rate for loan - not used but Unity Trust Bank matched the figure)
Castlebank £1,050 (relocation of insurance premium)
Miscellaneous £4,706 (tips to removal men, hire of additional casual labour, carpenters, painters etc at Clapham Road and other ad hoc expenditure)
establish an access roadway to the land at the back. The original proposal was for them to purchase the annex from the union and to build a large office development for the union at the back of the main building. They were proposing to pay BECTU the sum of £1 million in total. £300,000 would be payable once planning permission had been granted and the remaining £700,000 no later than one year from that date. Mr Tim Attlee, the property developer, and Mr Paul Hadaway, the architect, attended the National Executive Committee meeting for a short period on the 1 September to present their proposals to the National Executive Committee.
18 The National Executive Committee accepted in principle the proposals put forward by the property developer. Discussions then started between the property developer and the local authority planning department. It became apparent in those discussions that the local authority would not agree to the erection of a new office building at the back of the union's main head office. The proposal was then revised so that the property developer was no longer purchasing the annex (377 Clapham Road) from the union. It was still proposed to demolish the link block to be replaced with a small conservatory equivalent in general terms to the square footage being lost. Further revisions to the proposed deal have also been agreed. The National Executive Committee agreed at its meeting on the 9 March 2003 to the property developer making a payment of £960,000 up front and to the union being able to share in any bonus insofar as the property developer was submitting a planning application for a slightly larger development than had originally been agreed with BECTU. If this was agreed by the local authority BECTU would receive an additional payment of up to £200,000.
19 In order to safeguard its position the National Executive Committee sought an independent valuation on the property at Clapham, taking into account the changes that would be made as a result of the redevelopment. The result of the independent valuation was to place a value on the property before redevelopment of £2,450,000 and after redevelopment £2,450,000. In other words, the property development would not affect the value of the union's head office at 373-377 Clapham Road.
111 Wardour Street
20 The National Executive Committee at its meeting on the 1 September 2002 also considered the report following the tendering process of the refurbishment of Wardour Street. The National Executive Committee agreed to award the tender to the same firm that had completed the refurbishment of 373-377 Clapham Road - Spaceworks. The cost of the refurbishment of Wardour Street was £722,534. A supplementary report will be given.
21 The National Executive Committee are aware that the price of rented property in Soho has dropped quite considerably since it embarked on this project. The National Executive Committee remains confident, however, that with the sale of land at Clapham Road and the refurbishment of Wardour Street, it will have secured a much improved asset base for the union by the end of this project. It is anticipated that by 2004-2005 the rental income from Wardour Street should start to make a positive contribution to the union's cash flow.
Proposition 6/03 (AP15) Head office
That this annual conference believes that the new HQ in Clapham should be better exploited as a benefit to the membership. The National Executive Committee should consider encouraging ordinary members to meet there socially throughout the year, perhaps with one large organised annual event.
Proposition 7/03 (AP16) Property
That this annual conference notes the plans to develop the Clapham Road HQ, and requests that any profits made be used to benefit members directly, possibly through a rebate on their subscriptions.
Proposition 8/03 (AP17) Wardour Street
That this annual conference applauds BECTU's smooth transition to Clapham and expresses its satisfaction with the premises there. It nevertheless recognises 111 Wardour Street as being the union's principal asset and its flagship in the West End, and records the intention that it should remain so.
Proposition 9/03 (AP18) West End drop-in centre
That this annual conference instructs the National Executive Committee to conduct a feasibility study into turning the old reception area in Wardour Street into a drop-in centre [as a facility for members].
SOC note: SOC has added the words in square brackets in place of the following text which it has rejected as excessive argument not addressed to conference:
"The shop front window could act as an obvious form of advertising for BECTU. Inside would be a reception area, computers linked to the BECTU website, on brochures on the benefits of joining as well as literature of benefit to existing members such as breaking news. There should be informal seating and a discreet meeting area for use by members which could be booked in advance or used on a first come first served basis. A member of BECTU staff could act as receptionist and be on hand to advise visitors. The computers would be set up to inform on a wide variety of subjects, and could be free to BECTU members with - possibly - a fee levied for use of leaflets and services to non members. 'On the spot' joining of the union could be offered. After hours members could enter via the use of 'membership swipe cards' or by entering their membership number as a PIN (similar to systems used in bank foyers for access to ATM cash point facilities).
Such a scheme would send a clear and positive signal that not only is BECTU still alive and relevant but it is building for the future from the very heart of the UK audio-visual and theatre industries. It would show that BECTU means BUSINESS and would undoubtedly have a positive effect on our membership."
Proposition 10/03 (AP14) Expenditure
That this annual conference recognises that members frequently complain that they see little tangible evidence of how their subscriptions are spent, and instructs the National Executive Committee to find ways to bring such members back 'on board', possibly by publishing expenditure statistics as part of a 'State of the Union' direct mailshot to members. This mailshot could also detail BECTU's achievements over the last year.