BBC Technology members take 2.5%

An annual increase of 2.5% with a £1000 cash bonus has been accepted by BECTU members in BBC Technology.

In a postal ballot which closed today 57% of participating members voted to accept the rise, and the union is hoping that the company will pay the increase in May pay packets.

The pay increase will be backdated to April 1, the normal pay anniversary date, which was missed because pay talks began later than usual.

BBC Technology is threatened with a sell-off, possibly towards the end of this year, and the company's management was thrown into further disarray by the sacking of the former chief executive just as pay negotiations were due to begin.

Apart from the 2.5% increase, to be applied to basic salaries, London Weighting, overtime, Unpredictability Allowances, and other payments, the deal also includes a £1000 bonus. An initial payment of £400 will be made with the first increased salary payment, and most staff, apart from new joiners, will receive the remaining £800 in December 2004.

With the pay round over for this year BECTU will now step up its efforts to keep BBC Technology in house, instead of being sold off a part of a £2bn procurement exercise in which the BBC plans to outsource all its IT, telephony, broadcast infrastructure and technical consulting services.