Contract talks start in London theatres

Theatre members working in London's West End have agreed to talks about changes in their contracts.

However, a mass meeting of more than 200 BECTU members in London on September 8 called on negotiators to make no concessions on two key proposals for individual contracts and an end to minimum staffing levels.

Any threat by management to force through these two non-negotiable issues will lead to an industrial action ballot.

The meeting came after the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) tabled proposals for a complete overhaul of the agreement it has with BECTU covering most private theatres in the West End.

First efforts by SOLT to open discussions on the package led to a meeting at ACAS, where the management side outlined their plans to introduce "flexible working", with new terms and conditions, and a revised grievance procedure.

Flexible working, according to SOLT, would involve longer hours between 0700 and midnight, compulsory overtime, a six-day week, and Sunday opening. Payments for infringed breaks and night work would be reduced, and theatre staff would also lose show bonuses, and some TV payments.

Annual pay bargaining would cease under the SOLT proposals, with staff being moved onto individual contracts with increases fixed at the RPI figure, but no more.

BECTU has acknowledged that the overall package contains some improvements - plans for a new pension scheme open to all West End staff, funded partly by employers' contributions, was welcomed. But the changes in terms and conditions were unacceptable to members, and the September 8 meeting insisted that pay bargaining should remain a collective issue, not individual.

Talks with SOLT are expected to begin within the next few weeks.