BBC Technology deal accepted

Pay and conditions guarantees for BBC staff moving into a new subsidiary have been accepted in a postal ballot.

However the Corporation's decision to set up BBC Technology Limited was overwhelmingly rejected by more than 4 out of 5 members participating in the poll.

See ballot results

BECTU has notified BBC management that members are willing to accept the guarantees of: continued BBC pension rights; no changes in redundancy pay, leave, and other core conditions of service for two years; and pay increases at least as good as the rest of the BBC for two years.

The ballot asked members separate questions on the employment guarantees and the principle of establishing a limited company after complaints about an earlier ballot which had rolled the two issues into one question.

Members voting in the ballot were told by the union that the guarantees were the best that could be achieved through negotiations. However the concept of a new subsidiary was questioned on the grounds that Technology Limited will not engage in enough external work to attract intervention from competition authorities.

The company will be expected to earn money from commercial customers looking for Broadcast and Information Technology expertise as part of Greg Dyke's bid to fund new BBC TV and radio services at the same time as he increases budgets for BBC1 and BBC2. As many as 1,300 staff from various areas of the BBC are due to be transferred into Technology Limited.

The union will now inform Culture Minister Chris Smith of the ballot outcome, emphasising the strong feelings among members against the new company's creation. The BBC is still waiting for the Minister's permission to register Technology Limited, and the union hopes that the ballot result will be considered before he reaches a decision.