NEC Report to BECTU 2003 Conference paragraphs 58-96
International
BECTU and IATSE
58 Following the visit of IATSE's President to BECTU's conference in 2002, the President Tony Lennon and the General Secretary attended a meeting of the IATSE Board in Palm Springs in February 2003. The IATSE Board meets twice a year and each of its meetings last for a period of one week. The IATSE Board carries out a similar function in IATSE to that of the National Executive Committee in BECTU. Both the President and the General Secretary were invited to address the IATSE Board in order to give that Board a greater understanding of the workings of BECTU.
59 A further meeting with Tom Short took place in London on the 17 February 2003, and the National Executive Committee of BECTU at its meeting on the 9 March agreed to the establishment of a bi-lateral BECTU/IATSE Committee. The members of that committee for BECTU are: Gerry Morrissey, Martin Spence, Willy Donaghy, Andy Egan, with the President and the General Secretary attending as and when necessary; and for IATSE: Matthew D Loeb (International Vice President and Division Director of Motion Picture and Television Production), Anthony De Paulo (International Vice President), Ronald G Kutak (Special Representative) and Debbie Reid (International Representative, Special Projects).
60 It is planned that there will be two meetings of this committee in 2003, the first on the 2-3 June and the second in Los Angeles following the MEI Congress in October 2003. The purpose of these meetings is to identify tangible ways in which BECTU and IATSE could work more closely together to the benefit of our joint members, and in a way that can be easily understood by the members.
UNI-MEI
61 BECTU has continued to play an active part in UNI-MEI. The President Tony Lennon is the World President of the MEI section of UNI. The General Secretary represents BECTU on the World Executive Committee and is also a member of the European Executive Committee. AGS Gerry Morrissey is also a member of the European Executive Committee. The World Congress of UNI-MEI is to take place in Los Angeles in October 2003. Progress is now being made in establishing a social dialogue with the European Broadcasting Union. A social dialogue already exists for members in theatres.
62 UNI-MEI has spent considerable effort in following the GATS process and is involved in making submissions to the European Commission.
63 The General Secretary has continued to represent BECTU on the British Screen Advisory Council. The British Screen Advisory Council has a GATS Working Group on which BECTU has played an influential role. The BSAC GATS Working Group has made contact with other partnerships in the European audio/visual industry and has been influential in persuading the European Commission to adopt its current policies in respect of GATS and the audio/visual industry. The European Union are currently adopting the view that there should be no negotiation in respect of GATS and no changes to the existing arrangements.
64 BECTU is also involved in further work with BSAC who are establishing a wider working group outside of the European areas to examine the possibility as to whether or not agreement could be reached on a cultural instrument to cover the world's audio/visual industries. If such an agreement were reached the instrument would be lodged with UNESCO and would remove audio/visual from the GATS process.
Proposition 18/03 (AP24) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
That this annual conference notes the threat of privatisation that GATS poses to our public services including the broadcasting industry. Conference therefore instructs the National Executive Committee to pursue a vigorous campaign against GATS and to send a delegation of BECTU members to the 2003 European Social Forum as part of that campaign.
SOC note: SOC has rejected as excessive argument the following text after "broadcasting industry.":
"This conference also notes the success of the 2002 European Social Forum in Florence which was attended by 60,000 people including trade unionists and NGOs from across Europe."
European policy
65 Activity during the year included a visit to Brussels jointly by the Research Officer and AGS Gerry Morrissey, for the purpose of meetings with a number of key officials in the Directorates of the European Commission covering issues including the Working Time Directive, Public Service Broadcasting, Television Without Frontiers and the EC Cinema Communication.
66 As a follow-up the union has submitted evidence (including dozens of members' contracts) directly to the Commission in advance of their review of the opt-out provision from the 48 hour working week. We were able to indicate that long hours working is compulsory rather than optional in many parts of the independent production sector.
67 BECTU has continued to convene meetings of the European Working Group together with other media bodies and Barbara O'Toole MEP.
68 A conference on Public Broadcasting took place in Athens in May 2002 at which representatives from the BBC division of BECTU represented the union.
69 A similar conference on Private Broadcasting took place in Florence in April 2003 at which representatives from the Independent Broadcasting division represented the union.
70 AGS Martin Spence represented the union at a conference of film unions and other representative bodies in Warsaw where the aims were to build links with unions and other organisations in Central and Eastern Europe.
71 Members of the London Production and Regional Production divisions also represented BECTU at a conference of European Film Workers in Berlin in February 2003.
Work Permits
72 We continue to have a good working relationship with Work Permits UK, which is now part of the Home Office. Our recommendations on individual Work Permits are followed in the vast majority of cases.
73 However there continue to be problem areas, including the continuing issue of visitors with family connections from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who under current law are allowed to work in the UK without Work Permits. Some technicians from these countries take significant amounts of work from UK freelances.
Iraq
74 At its meeting on 9 March 2003 the National Executive Committee endorsed the TUC General Council statement on Iraq published on 26 February 2003, and reaffirmed by the General Council after Parliament voted on 19 March to support the US attack. The statement is given in Appendix E.
Proposition 19/03 (AP25) War in Iraq
That this annual conference is alarmed at the repeated attempts by the government to launch a war in Iraq that will cause yet more suffering to ordinary Iraqis, and at the questionable means that have been used to gain international support for such a war. Conference also notes the huge demonstrations against such a war organised by the Stop the War Coalition and therefore instructs the National Executive Committee to affiliate to the Stop the War Coalition.
Affiliations
75 BECTU has remained affiliated to the following organisations since last year's conference:
General Fund76 Since the union's 2002 conference the National Executive Committee has decided to affiliate to the Institute of Public Policy Research (£250) and the United Campaign for the Repeal of Anti Trade Union Laws (£100).
Federation of Entertainment Unions £2,500
General Federation of Trade Unions £6,000
Irish Congress of Trade Unions £618
Scottish Trades Union Congress £1,479
Trades Union Congress £44,705
Media Entertainment International £26,836
Political Fund
Action for Southern Africa £150
Amnesty International £127
Arts for Labour £300
British Copyright Council £820
British Film Institute £176
British Screen Advisory Council £4,225
Campaign for Freedom of Information (variable)
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom £225
Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers £100
Cuba Solidarity Campaign £75
Institute of Employment Rights £231
International Centre for Trade Union Rights £100
Labour Party £23,925
Labour Research Department £634
Lobby to End Age Discrimination £200
Mechanics Institute £50
Metier £100
National Abortion Campaign £100
National Assembly Against Racism (variable)
National Campaign for the Arts £294
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign £200
Palestine Solidarity Campaign £100
Scottish Labour Party £250
Skillset £1,175
Southern and Eastern Regional TUC £250
Trade Union CND £200
Trade Union Disability Alliance £100
Wales Labour Party £200
War on Want £200
Services to members
Copyright
77 The union's Copyright Committee has considered a number of issues arising this year, including the Government's proposals for implementing the Copyright Directive (on which we made a submission), Artists' Resale Right and reforms of the BECTU Script Registration Service.
78 Advice to individual members has been provided on a regular basis by BECTU's Copyright Consultant, Janet Ibbotson.
79 BECTU remains affiliated to DACS (the Design and Artists' Collecting Society) and through this has facilitated member's participation in DACS Payback 2002 campaign for distributing secondary payments.
80 BECTU, after much consideration, decided not to renew its relationship with the Creators' Rights Association. There has been concern in BECTU and amongst other FEU unions that the CRA has been operating beyond its original remit and in a manner that has been causing increasing difficulty to some trade unions.
Contract consultant
81 BECTU retains a consultant on professional contracts, David Gideon Thomson.
Legal services
82 The union's legal service has again won over £1m for members during the past year - including personal injury, road accident, employment protection and breach of contract cases.
83 The free 24 hour legal helpline has now been successfully operating for over a year, and has dealt with a wide range of calls from members on non-employment issues, as well as personal injury referrals.
Pensions
84 2002 and the beginning of 2003 have been a very difficult time for members who are currently in final salary pension schemes. We are in the process of negotiating changes to a number of final salary pension schemes in order to keep them open. These include the schemes with the transmission companies Crown Castle and Vosper Merlin, and at Ulster Television. Members at Carlton Television have had to increase their contributions and the final salary pension scheme at Granada Media Group has been closed to new staff.
85 Pensions will continue to be a significant issue for BECTU and we are currently drafting submissions to the Government in relation to their consultation paper on pensions.
86 The BECTU Stakeholder Pension has been taken up by 490 members, 106 employers have designated the BECTU scheme, and 16 companies are making contributions to members' Stakeholder schemes.
Public Liability Insurance
87 Because of the spiralling costs of insurance premiums in 2002 the National Executive Committee had to ask those members who enjoyed the protection of the public liability insurance policy obtained by BECTU to make a contribution towards the cost of that policy. The policy premium had increased in 2002 from approximately £20,000 to £106,000. In 2003 it is now being increased from £106,000 to £131,000. The National Executive Committee have therefore had to ask those members who wish to continue to have the protection of this policy to increase their contribution from £12 to £15 per annum. The National Executive Committee continues to believe that this offers excellent value for money.
BECTU benefits and services handbook
88 The union's new handbook summarises all the individual services available to member, including details on legal services, specialist insurance (e.g. public liability) financial services, professional advice (e.g. on tax and pensions), the BECTU Stakeholder Pension, equal opportunities, training, assistance with job-finding, copyright, health and safety and special discounts.
Proposition 20/03 (AP20) Northern Ireland
That this annual conference instructs the National Executive Committee to give equal access to services from the union at national level by setting up an office in Northern Ireland, as soon as funds allow it.
Stage Screen & Radio
89 The overriding concern of the journal department since last year's conference was to stabilise advertising revenue and return it to previous income levels. This revenue is crucial to the journal's operations as it pays for nearly half of expenditure. A new advertising agency began working for the journal from the June 2002 issue and revenue immediately improved. The new sales team brought in over £10,300 on the December 2002 issue, nearly four times greater than the previous agency's low of £2,600 (October 2001).
90 At the last annual conference delegates were informed that the NEC were to review the costs and benefits of the journal in the coming year, and this review took place. The journal Editor wrote a report on the journal's editorial direction, production and finances and this was widely circulated to branches, discussed at divisional level and endorsed by the NEC - see Appendix F.
91 The union's string of victories over recognition - MTV, Meridian, ITFC, Savoy Bingo - was a thread running through the year. The December 2002 issue carried coverage of the groundbreaking initiative from the freelance divisions in campaigning for recognition for two groups of freelance workers, the wildlife filmmakers and the technicians working on The Bill.
92 Another theme was the Communications Bill. The cover stories titled "Will the last regional programme maker switch off the light?" and "Is time running out for ITV?" struck a chord with readers whose letters were printed in subsequent issues.
93 Other coverage included reports on the Arts & Entertainment division's long-running campaign against low pay, with a special focus on the Leicester Haymarket's successful strike action, plus the continuing Masterclass series with articles on a range of subjects from health and safety on stunts to HDTV.
Journal income and expenditure
94 July/August 2002 issue expenditure was as follows:
Design £1763
Repro £909
Printing £5241
Wrapping and mailing £2444
Postage (Royal mail) £5700
Overseas £168
Production misc £500
Total £16,725
Total for the year (x 10): £167,250
Budget: £100,000
Deficit to cover from advertising revenue: £67,250, i.e. £6,725 per issue
Journal Editor* gross salary: £49,075 (based on year 4 grading + 40% employer costs)
Half secretarial gross salary: £14,550 (includes 40% employer costs)
Total gross costs of the journal department: £230,875
*NOTE: The Journal Editor has additional responsibilities to that of producing the union journal. These responsibilities include issuing press statements when required on behalf of the union and fielding press queries; and coordinating, producing and amending other literature on behalf of the union, such as stationery, application forms and other recruitment material. The current Journal Editor also has to allocate time to servicing the Black Members' Subcommittee of the NEC.
Advertising revenue 2001-2002
95
| Date | Excluding commission and VAT | Less commission, but including VAT |
| PRN Media | ||
| February 2001 17.0% commission | £11,512 | £11,227 | March 17.5% | £8,344 | £8,103 | April 17.5% | £8,568 | £8,355 | May 17.5% | £7,321 | £7,139 | June 17.5% | £6,420 | £6,262 | July/August 17.5% | £5,869 | £5,723 | September 17.5% | £3,056 | £2,980 |
| Cabbell | October 37.5% commission | £2,628 | £1,930 | November 37.5% | £5,367 | £3,941 | December 2001/January 2002 37.5% | £4,040 | £2,967 | February 2002 37.5% | £6,500 | £4,773 | March 37.5% | £5,500 | £4,039 | April 25.0% commission | £4,850 | £4,274 | May 25.0% | £5,270 | £4,644 |
| Acorn | June 25.0% commission | £7,731 | £6,813 | July/August | £7,589 | £6,688 | September | £8,724 | £7,062 | October | £6,634 | £5,847 | November | £7,856 | £6,923 | December 2002/January 2003 | £10,310 | £9,082 |
96 In addition to the above revenue stream, the union makes savings on other budgets through use of the journal to mail other items. For example, an individual mailing of the rulebook amendments would have cost £5,130, plus the cost of 27,000 envelopes and the time involved in processing the mailing. As a result of inserting it into the journal mailing in June it cost £537. The BBC division's members receive a monthly newsletter with the journal and this costs about £1,300 a year instead of £13,300 plus up to 70,000 envelopes and processing time.
Proposition 21/03 (AP12) Stage Screen & Radio diary
That this annual conference recommends that the union journal Stage Screen & Radio should include a monthly events diary where branches and committees could post notice of scheduled meetings; alternatively such information could be included in appropriate newsletters such as the BBC Informer.