London theatres offer 5.5% rise

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

The Society of London Theatres (SOLT) is offering a pay increase of 5.5%, double time on Sundays, and improvements in maternity, paternity, and adoption leave entitlements.

Other concessions include an extension of union bargaining rights to cover freelance workers in sound and automation departments, and the introduction of an employers contribution into the money purchase pension scheme open to theatre staff working under the SOLT agreement.

Union officials have advised members that the deal is the best that could be negotiated, and are optimistic that it will be accepted in a postal ballot that closes on January 14 2005.

In recent years London theatres have been able to mount Sunday performances, but only by striking one-off local agreements with union branches. Although the performers' unions Equity and Musicians' Union already have blanket agreements to permit Sunday opening, BECTU has not, until now, been offered acceptable reward for members.

Full-time staff working on Sundays in BECTU grades will now receive payment for 8 hours at 2T (T being the hourly wage rate), while "performance" staff who tend not to be permanently employed, will be paid for 4 hours at 2T.

Staff will continue to work a basic duty of five days a week, with the difference that one of the five days could be Sunday.

The agreement will cover 40 theatres in London, employing nearly 700 BECTU members.