News headlines 2004

Blackstones, new owners of the UGC cinema chain, have been invited to open talks about the sale with BECTU.

BECTU's theatre members are balloting on a ground-breaking pay deal in London as part of an agreement on Sunday opening.

Union negotiators have accused ITV of pre-empting decisions by Ofcom with a plan to cut jobs in Wales.

Catering company Eurest has today agreed to recognise BECTU as the trade union for its staff working in BBC outlets.

Culture Minister Tessa Jowell yesterday faced questions from MPs critical of Ofcom's proposals for regional broadcasting.

The BBC's three staff unions have launched a campaign against savage redundancies and budget cuts which were announced today.

Nearly 3,000 jobs are threatened with redundancy in a sweeping programme of cuts at the BBC.

BECTU has been assured that Ntl: staff will still belong to a final-salary pension scheme after the company is sold.

BECTU is inviting new members to join up in the week that major changes are announced at the BBC

BECTU members at transmission company Ntl: may take strike action to protect their final salary pension scheme.

BECTU has called on Ofcom to defend public service broadcasting in a policy submission to the industry regulator.

BECTU members are being offered a 10% discount on the cost of audio-visual training courses by Westminster Kingsway College.

Almost three out of four BECTU members have voted to keep the union's political fund in a postal ballot.

BECTU and the NUJ are circulating a petition to support the BBC against the current background of political and commercial pressure.

ITV regulator Ofcom has denied that that its proposals to relax ITV's regional obligations are a "done deal."

BECTU is warning that the Ofcom review of public service broadcasting could mean the end of commercial TV in the regions.

A two-year pay offer from London's National Theatre has been accepted by BECTU members.

BECTU is urging members to vote yes in a ballot to continue the union's Political Fund.

BECTU will demand a fair deal for workers in two cinema chains if their new owner decides to shake them up.

BECTU's next Rules Revision and Annual Conference will be held in June 2005 at Liverpool.

BECTU and Prospect, the unions for staff of communications regulator Ofcom, are launching a major recruitment exercise this month.

Union officials have condemned the BBC's announcement that a new grading system will be introduced.

BECTU has joined the rest of the film industry in welcoming a new tax credit announced by the government.

BECTU has been warned by Culture Minister Tessa Jowell that she intends to approve the sale of BBC Technology to Siemens.

BECTU members at ITV's Southern Transmission Centre, formerly part of London News Network, have won collective bargaining rights.

Culture Minister Tessa Jowell is deciding whether to approve the privatisation of BBC Technology Ltd.

More than 92% of members responding in a ballot have rejected the proposed sale of BBC Technology.

A threat of legal action from the BBC has forced BECTU to cancel industrial action in BBC Technology.

The Culture Minister will be meeting BECTU before any government decision is taken on the future of BBC Technology.

BECTU and the NUJ have lobbied the Welsh Assembly over the future of ITV Wales.

Unions are waiting to hear if ITV will accept their counter-proposal to 59 job cuts at Manchester facilities house 3sixtymedia.

BECTU has been advised to call off industrial action in BBCT after receiving a second revised offer from employers.

Members of BECTU, NUJ, and Amicus have voted in postal ballots to accept this year's pay offer from the BBC.

Proposals for 88 redundancies at Scottish Opera have been attacked by one of the nation's most famous artistic figures.

Plans to privatise BBCT have been hit by the announcement of strike action, and a dramatic intervention by government.

Union members in BBC Technology are being balloted on a new offer from the company hoping to take them over on September 1.

BECTU has submitted a 7% pay claim to the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) on behalf of members in the capital's West End.

BECTU members affected by the sale of BBC Technology have been advised not to fill in or sign any documents from Siemens.

Film and TV archivists from around the world have rallied to the support of Britain's National Film & Television Archive.

More than four out of five BECTU members in BBC Technology have voted for industrial action over privatisation.

All three staff unions are to run consultative ballots among BBC members on a new pay offer.

BECTU representatives are due to open talks with Siemens Business Services, the company hoping to buy BBC Technology.

Employees at Edinburgh's Cameo Cinema have voted for BECTU to represent them in future negotiations with management.

An industrial action vote among BECTU members in BBC Technology closes next Friday.

BECTU and NUJ union reps fighting cuts in ITV Midlands have delivered a 20,000 signature petition to 10 Downing Street.

BECTU has won a pledge of no changes in pensions or terms and conditions following the sale of transmission company Crown Castle.

A strike ballot among BBC union members has been suspended after a 2.7% pay offer was improved.

Union members facing redundancy at Scottish Opera have won support from MSPs after a lobby in Edinburgh.

An industrial action ballot is planned for BECTU and NUJ members as unions reject a 2.7% pay offer.

BECTU branches in ITV Central have published a report calling for network production to be retained in the Midlands region.

Both companies left in the race to buy BBC Technology have been shown a secret plan for redundancies.

An eleventh-hour pay offer has lifted a strike threat to new production "Paradise" in Belfast.

BECTU has signed a new recognition agreement with OCS, the BBC's main cleaning contractor in London.

Industrial action at Belfast's Lyric Theatre could disrupt the world premiere of new production "Paradise" on June 8.

BECTU has called on other broadcasters to follow C5's lead in banning a BNP political broadcast.

Thousands of Nottingham residents flocked to a union-organised music festival last week to support local ITV workers.

Rallies are being organised in three cities against a political broadcast by the right-wing British National Party.

BECTU yesterday called on Ofcom to prevent "an accident waiting to happen" in ITV's Midlands region.

BECTU has called on the new BBC Chair to review recent decisions like the sale of BBC Technology.

Members working for transmission company ntl: have voted narrowly to accept revisions in contracts.

Almost nine out of ten BECTU members employed by security contractor Wilson James have accepted this year's pay rise.

Union members in BBC Worldwide could ballot for strike action after rejecting a 2.6% pay offer.

BECTU will support members who refuse to work on election broadcasts for the far-right British National Party.

BECTU President Tony Lennon has been re-elected in a ballot of members.

BECTU has launched its Learning Studio website at the union's Annual Conference today (8 May 2004).

Union officials have warned that redundancies among TV Factual programme-makers could be much higher than announced.

BECTU has agreed a union recognition deal with City Screen, operators of Brixton's Ritzy Cinema.

Freelancers in the BBC's Natural History Unit have won the right for BECTU to bargain on their pay and conditions.

A dispute over new terms and conditions at transmission company ntl: is being referred back to government conciliator ACAS.

Voting has been extended in a ballot on union recognition among freelancers at BBC Bristol's Natural History Unit.

Administrators for a film on the union's watchlist say it is unlikely to go into production.

BECTU is collecting online feedback from freelance members on the effectiveness of its main independent production agreement.

An annual increase of 2.5% with a £1000 cash bonus has been accepted by BECTU members in BBC Technology.

Plans to shed more jobs at transmission company ntl:, announced today, have been criticised by BECTU.

BECTU branches threatened with jobs cuts after the Carlton/Granada merger are urging supporters to register an online protest.

BECTU members working for communications giant ntl: are due to start industrial action on March 31 over new terms and conditions.

BECTU and the NUJ are organising a lobby of Parliament to protest at more than 500 redundancies in ITV.

Elections are to be held for BECTU's President and two Divisions on the NEC.

Skillset is offering London-based freelancers £800 towards a training course to boost their careers.

Two seats on the board of the BBC pension scheme have been won by union-supported candidates in a ballot.

Tessa Jowell, Minister for Culture Media and Sport, was met by Midlands based BECTU members at a conference in Birmingham today.

BECTU is alerting freelance members to troubled Pinewood film production "Red Light Runners".

BECTU members in BBC Resources Ltd have voted to accept a 2.8% pay increase in a postal ballot.

Plans to cut up to 400 jobs with the closure of ITV facilities in Birmingham and Nottingham have provoked union outrage.

BECTU has achieved another increase in rates for background artistes that come into force from April 2004.

BECTU members working in transmission for television, radio and the emergency services are to vote on industrial action.

Pay talks in the BBC have kicked off with a ballot of Resources members on a 2.8% rise.

Sky staff are calling for action on workplace stress, bullying and harassment.

Members across Granada have voted by a majority of 4-1 to accept a revised pay offer.

BECTU is seeking to recruit three project workers for the Soho Learning and Skills project.

Communications with BECTU's Clapham office are likely to remain disrupted until at least Monday February 16.

BECTU is in talks with film producers about the impact of a shock change in tax rules.

Proposals for BECTU's 2004 Conference in Liverpool have been issued.

Thousands of BBC staff joined protests organised by BECTU and the NUJ outside their workplaces today.

Freelance members engaged by some independent production companies can now claim pension contributions from employers.

BECTU and the NUJ are calling for staff throughout the BBC to join a post-Hutton protest this week.

The union has called for a halt to the wave of BBC resignations that followed the Hutton report.

BECTU Branches are invited to nominate members for the union's National Executive.

Freelance construction workers on feature films have voted in favour of a new pay and conditions package.