Timetable fixed for BBC ballots

Dates have now been set for two industrial action ballots for members throughout the BBC.

BECTU has now set the timetable for two industrial action ballots - one for all BBC members on the issue of salary management and multi-skilling, and another for members in BBC Resources over their transfer to a new Limited Company.

The ballots follow the breakdown of talks at national level, after the BBC turned down a number of union demands for improvements in the management's proposals on three issues: the guaranteed minimum salary for staff in the post-1994 pay structure; the possibility of compulsory redundancies as a result of multi-skilling in programme-making; and the terms under which 4,500 staff would transfer to BBC Resources Limited.

Two of the issues affect all BBC staff, which accounts for one ballot, but for legal reasons the second ballot over the transfer to BBC Resources Limited must be confined to members who work within the existing Resources Directorate.

Although the issues in dispute are confined to staff terms of employment, the union remains opposed in principle to the squeeze on production budgets at the BBC, which has exacerbated the problems with salary management and multi-skilling. BECTU is also opposed to the creation of BBC Resources Limited, which union lawyers have said is unnecessary to achieve the expansion of external trade, which has been agreed between unions and management.

The AEEU electrician's union is working to a timetable broadly in line with BECTU, and the NUJ may fix its dates after a meeting of representatives later in April.