BBC's 3% pay rise accepted

Members of BECTU and the NUJ have voted to accept this year's pay rise.

In two separate ballots, one for most of the BBC and another for BBC Resources Limited, more than 80% of members voted in favour of the 3% increase.

The rise takes effect from August 1, and should now appear in pay packets in the middle of the month.

Unions made no recommendation on accepting or rejecting the main BBC offer of 3% with a minimum increase of £500, after a series of negotiations which started with an initial offer of 2.3%.

In the Resources Limited ballot, members were positively urged to vote for the offer, which consists of the global 3% rise, with another 2.5% for 12 months starting in April 2002.

The wholly-owned BBC subsidiary company was recently freed to conduct its own pay bargaining with BECTU, and tabled the two-stage offer in return for agreement that its pay anniversary could move from August to April each year.

The two pay ballots closed on Wednesday July 25. BBC Worldwide Limited, which holds separate pay talks, has imposed a 2.5% increase on its staff.

BBC Pay 2001 - Ballot results.

BBC (except Worldwide Limited and Resources Limited)
Combined BECTU/NUJ vote

YES 82.5%
NO 17.5%

Turnout:
NUJ - 40.5%
BECTU - 38.0%

BBC Resources Limited
BECTU only

YES 89.8%
NO 10.2%

Turnout - 44.8%