Recognition won in Glasgow bingo

Members at Savoy Bingo in Cambuslang have won the right to be represented by BECTU.

A panel appointed by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has given Sovereign Leisure, owners of Savoy Bingo, 30 days to agree to collective bargaining arrangements with BECTU.

The instruction came after the union made a formal application in May for recognition at the company under new labour legislation. Because BECTU had recruited more than 50% of Savoy's staff, the panel automatically awarded recognition rights without any need for a ballot of staff.

Previous attempts to win recognition through negotiations with the company had failed. The panel's award covers all grades of full-time and part-time staff at Savoy Bingo, except for the manager.

BECTU officials are confident that they will be able to agree a system of pay bargaining and collective negotiation by the deadline of November 1. Sovereign is the fourth employer to give recognition rights to BECTU as the result of CAC applications since Labour's Employment Relationis Act came into force.

MTV, the music broadcaster, Meridian TV, and ITFC, the ITV teletext company, have all agreed to recognise the union, in some cases before the CAC panel made a formal award.