Theatre minimum offer rejected

BECTU has rejected the latest offer of revised minimum pay rates in regional theatres.

Negotiations between the union and the Theatrical Management Association (TMA), representing regional theatres, has led to an offer of a 2.1% increase in minimum pay, reducing to 1.1% for get-out rates.

BECTU is seeking increases significantly higher than inflation, principally because the rates of pay still remain unacceptably low. Although the TMA Agreement states that it is not expected that the minimum rates will often apply, it is reported that increasingly it is these minimums that are being paid.

There is concern that this low pay is exacerbating low morale, withdrawal of goodwill and causing the skilled workforce to leave the industry.

"BECTU has told the TMA that these low rates of pay are increasingly unacceptable and we have signalled our determination to seek significant improvements," says BECTU Supervisory Official Wille Donaghy.