Fourth Resources pay meeting

The fourth meeting on possible changes to the BBC Resources pay system has taken place.

The meeting, held on 26 June 2002, followed on from the previous meeting with Resources management.

No Post proposals

In relation to possible separate proposals Post Production it was pointed out that many staff work a pattern based on eight hours, whilst another group of staff work mainly 12 hour days.

Despite this management said they saw the ideas tabled by management at previous meetings, based on an average 10 hour day, would 'fit well' for new starters - they wished to move to a position of an average 10 hour day in Post Production. They said they wished to bring closer together different areas across Post Production, although they 'recognised' the current short and long day working groups of staff.

Therefore no separate proposals for Post Production were produced by management at the meeting.

Pensions problem

Management reported back on progress on any proposals concerning Pensions since they raised the issue at the 29 February meeting.

At that meeting they said they had been considering some form of consolidation of pension contributions over and above current basic salaries. They had been in discussions with the Pension Fund since, and said that provisional feedback from the Fund indicated that a significant annual cost would be required from Resources to enable forward service consolidation, and that now it cannot assume such proposals will be tabled.

They said they would now wish to wait for the full Actuarial Report of the entire Pension Fund later in the year before returning to this subject.

The union-side said that the question of Pensions would be an important element of reaching a view on any proposals eventually put forward by management.

Trainee questions

Management referred to the recruitment of operational trainees in London Resources over the past two years, currently in dispute by Branches in the area. Management said they understood the dispute centred on the first two years of service, along with contractual arrangements, but said they wished to examine at this meeting how trainees moved from training rates of pay.

They proposed that in the third year of service trainees in London Post Production moved to the floor (ie the 100% level) of grade 5 and then progressed to 115% in the grade at fully competent level. In London Television Studios and OBs they proposed staff moved to the floor of grade 4 in the third year of service, and moved to grade 5.

Management did not address questions from the union-side concerning the time frame of these progression through these levels, along with rate for the job, which the union did not accept was 115% on each salary band. Representatives said that from the union point of view resolving salary progression and rate for the job problems was one of the main reason for participating in the talks.

Management said they would consider these points. They also proposed that a separate meeting on trainees specifically would be convened before the next pay meeting.

Conditions difficulties

Management outlined their view of the impact on current conditions in Resources of the pay structure ideas they have outlined at the meetings.

Areas in principle they wished to retain:

• Protected Days off, Off Duty days and days off of uncertain status.
• Time scale of notice of schedules
• Payment of 'time night working - as opposed to touching such hours'
• 11 hour break
• 6 days consecutive working
• Timescales of returning documentation such as timesheets and T&Ds
• Principle of leave - except Compensatory Leave

Areas were there might be need for change:

• Overruns
• Travel time on duty days
• Definition of a day
• Overtime - there would be no overtime except for additional days
• No individual night payments - except as outlined above
• Over 12 hour day payments - they indicated they wished to withdraw from current arrangements
• Over 12 hour day voluntarism - they indicated they wished to withdraw from current arrangements

They also said they wish to restyle the current conditions documentation in Resources.

Union Representatives made a number of initial observations to the above list:

1. Any proposals to withdraw from current over 12 hour day arrangements would cause major difficulties.
2. Excluding travel time from duty time would also case problems in OBs and staff working at Elstree.
3. The definition of a day and its length was important in order to keep working hours to sensible lengths and to clarify when a day off had taken place.
4. What is the management view under their plan on the number of Protected Days (PDs) since currently UPA0/1 staff have 8 PDs per four week accounting period and UPA2 staff have 4 PDs? Management said they would consider this point.

The original terms of reference for the talks were quoted by the union-side and it was pointed out that a number of points had not been addressed so far by management - particularly work/life balance, grading and rate for the job.

New starters first?

Management proposed that new starters in Resources, including the current trainees, moved to the proposed pay system outlined by management.

The union said that they could not agree to this 'under any event' since the overall package was unclear and may not in any case be agreed, and because of problems with implementation - for example conditions and pensions.