I am writing to outline the Joint Unions claim for improvements to pay rates, associated allowances and conditions of service.

Pay

The feedback from our members last year was that of anger because senior managers were awarded increases significantly above the rate of inflation while staff were being asked to show wage restraint. The Director General's increase of 9.2% is still seen by many as the award that should have been given to staff. It is very likely that staff will insist that the Union demand a figure like that if there is a repetition of the 'them and us' pay awards this year. Having said that, the Joint Union claim for 1999 is for a substantial percentage increase above the rate of inflation and subject to a minimum payment of £1000 per year. All associated allowances including London weighting should increase in line with the standard award.

Staff continue to believe that PRP [performance related pay] lacks transparency and is unfair therefore all available monies should be used for the standard award and no member of the Executive board should receive an increase greater than the standard award.

1998 ACAS Agreement

It was unfortunate that industrial action was necessary last year for the BBC to take seriously the issue of job security. The ACAS agreement gave staff hope that their employer may be interested in retaining a skilled workforce who are flexible and open to retraining. In the last year of this millennium we invite you to build on the ACAS agreement by agreeing to the Joint Union claims of:

• No compulsory redundancies for a period of 2 years

• The current 5 months re-training and redeployment package agreed at ACAS should be made a permanent arrangement.

We opposed Resources Limited because we believed it would cost jobs and that no additional external revenue could be raised. Resources management said that the job situation would be neutral and that incorporation was necessary to allow Resources to take on the extra work that was out there waiting for Resources Limited. So far we have seen little sign of this work. The job situation is not neutral and hundreds of jobs have been lost. Against that background we have no confidence in the long term viability of Resources Limited and will oppose any move by the BBC to cut the link between BBC Resources conditions of service including collective bargaining arrangements and those covering all other BBC staff. It is for management to firstly prove that the business is stable before any more changes are imposed upon staff. Our claim is for an extension until August 2002 of the part of the ACAS agreement.

Pensions

We would like to see an extension of the preferential discounting arrangements for a further two years.

Allowances/unsociable working

The introduction of new services coupled with the already heavy demands placed upon staff means that weekend working and Bank Holiday working is expected more and more, and no additional record is made for this infringement on time that most people in society believe is their leisure time. The Joint Unions want to see those staff rewarded by a flat payment of:

• £25 per day for any weekend working (Sat-Sun)
• £50 per day for any public holiday working

Following on from the previous point the Joint Unions are concerned about the number of basic hours expected of staff who work nights and other unsociable shift patterns. We would like a Joint Review to take place and report back with measures to help these workers before the end of the year.

Childcare provision

In 1997 you tabled an initiative with tax breaks which you said would be rolled out across the BBC. We supported this initiative as one that helped working parents and withdrew our own claim for improved provisions. Two years later, BBC working parents are no better off and it seems as if the BBC are accepting the inland revenue's ruling despite its own legal advice which I believe is that the 1997 scheme is legal and within current legislation. We now demand from the BBC a childcare package equivalent to those offered by other major employers.

Sick pay

The BBC Sick Pay Provision is not very generous especially for those with long service. The Joint unions are claiming that the 26 weeks paid absence due to sickness should be provided per year.

Summary

In drafting this claim the joint Unions are conscious of the licence fee review which is about to commence. We do not want to do anything that will jeopardise the BBC core income. However, you cannot deny that funds are available to award staff a substantial increase in pay. We believe it is in all of our interests to reach a quick settlement that improves pay and conditions and builds on our job security arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Gerry Morrissey
Assistant General Secretary
BECTU