Ballot begins on BBC's ACAS offer
Delegates in debate at BECTU's annual BBC meeting on June 3.
Ballot papers are being sent today, June 20, to home addresses of more than 8,000 members who are being asked to accept an offer from the BBC made at ACAS on May 27 after a one-day strike just four days earlier.
BECTU's decision to put the offer to members, with a recommendation that it should be accepted, was approved at the union's annual conference of BBC delegates in early June, but the union held off commencing the ballot until satisfactory assurances about pensions and job security had been given to staff in BBC Broadcast Ltd, which could be privatised later this year.
At a meeting with BBC management earlier today, union officials were given written assurances that all remaining bidders with an interest in buying BBC Broadcast would offer staff a final-salary pension scheme comparable to the BBC's, as well as guarantees that there would be no compulsory redundancies for a year, and that existing terms and conditions would be protected for three years.
Ballot papers are now on their way to members in the three parts of the BBC affected directly by the plans for 4,000 job cuts, and possible privatisation of subsidiaries, announced by Director-General in December 2004.
Read ballot letters to members in: All BBC, Broadcast, Resources.
In addition to the guarantees on offer to members in Broadcast - a subsidiary whose sale is still opposed in principle by the union - the package tabled at ACAS last last month promises that there will be no compulsory redundancies elsewhere in the BBC until July 2006 at the earliest, and postpones for at least two years the threatened privatisation of another subsidiary, BBC Resources Ltd.
If BECTU members accept the offer, as recommended by the union's delegate conference, urgent talks will take place in every division to discuss the practical impact of Mark Thompson's plans for major job reductions across the Corporation.
Both BECTU, and the smaller journalists' union NUJ which intends to participate in the divisional-level talks, are committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies, and will also be examining the effect that job cuts, even those achieved by voluntary means, and out-sourcing of back-office functions like finance and HR, will have on staff who remain.
Under the terms of the ACAS offer, the unions reserve the right to resume industrial action, with the appropriate legal notice, if the threat of compulsory redundancies remains after the divisional talks. However BECTU believes that many job reductions will be achieved voluntarily, and if the offer is accepted by members, will approve the early departure of volunteers well before a summit meeting with Mark Thompson, promised later in the year to review the progress of the restructuring.
For some staff, whose exact fate under the Thompson plans is not yet clear, BECTU has pledged to use the detailed divisional talks as a platform to defend its members. Some BECTU members now employed by back-office departments, like training, health and safety, and regional security, could be hit by targets for outsourcing which are intended to cut directly-employed BBC jobs by up to 50%.
The union has pledged that where members are affected by outsourcing, BECTU will fight to win protection at least as good as the package on offer to employees of BBC Broadcast.
Similarly, the unions have demanded that staff in BBC World Service and Monitoring, should be given the same one-year promise of no compulsory redundancies as those elsewhere in the Corporation once their local proposals for restructuring are tabled later this summer.
In letters to the three separate constituencies voting on the ACAS offer - the central BBC, BBC Broadcast, and BBC Resources - BECTU congratulates members for their resolve on May 23, the date of the one-day strike, which the union believes was instrumental in forcing the BBC back into negotiations over Thompson's cuts.
BECTU's ballots on the offer are due to close on Monday July 4.
17th June 2005
Dear Member
BBC CONSULTATIVE BALLOT
Following the very successful strike on 23rd May and the subsequent negotiations with Mark Thompson, I am writing to give you details of the offer from the BBC. Enclosed with this letter is a ballot paper and I would urge to use your vote to let us know what you think. BECTU is recommending that you vote YES in the ballot and this letter will explain why.
All BECTU members are to be congratulated for their solid support on the 23rd May. The strike gave the BBC such a shock that within 24 hours it had accepted an invitation to ACAS where it was compelled to negotiate with the unions.
THE OFFER
The offer from the BBC is not everything we wanted but the BBC have made some important concessions. For the first time in its history the BBC has conceded a period when there will be no compulsory redundancies with no one leaving the corporation until July 2006. This will give us thirteen months during which argue against and fight compulsory redundancies. If we are unsuccessful then we can reactivate the ballot.
As part of that process we need to go down to divisional level talks to find out the detail of the proposals. This will let us see the impact of the proposals on staff and programme quality. At the same time the BBC wants to begin a trawl for volunteers and begin to release them. We have made it clear to the BBC that we will not allow them to refuse volunteers and then go on to select people for compulsory redundancy. We have also made it clear that if they let too many people go in one area, then we will be instructing our members to work to rule. This will stop any attempt to provide the same range of programming with sharply reduced staffing levels.
The sale of Resources has been shelved until July 2007 and we will be recommending that our members there accept the position, which will mean that the dispute in Resources is over.
In Broadcast the BBC have provided the written guarantees we asked for and although the members are still angry at being sold by the BBC we will be recommending that they accept the offer and that means the dispute in Broadcast is over.
The BBC have not provided similar guarantees for our members in Professional Services facing outsourcing and that is because they do not believe we have many members there. In those areas where we do have members we will be fighting to defend their interests and try and secure the same protection for them as members in Broadcast.
World Service and Monitoring have yet to hear about their budget cuts but the BBC have agreed that the deadline of July 1st 2006 will also apply to them. In addition Mark Thompson said that he would personally recommend to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the July date should be extended to give people in World Service and Monitoring the same period of time before compulsory redundancies take effect.
Following ACAS the BBC made a further concession by offering a meeting with Mark Thompson before the end of 2005. If there are still compulsory redundancies which affect our members then this will give us an opportunity to try and see if there is any way around them before anyone is issued with notice of compulsory redundancy. If not then we will be giving seven days notice and starting the industrial action again.
WHAT NEXT
We have informed the BBC that if this offer is accepted it does not mean that the industrial action is over. It will be suspended and if despite the divisional level talks there are still compulsory redundancies where we have members, then we will be giving seven days notice and reactivating the ballot. We will also be using the mandate from the ballot to instruct our members to work to rule if there are too many redundancies in any area. Further details are on the website at www.bectu.org.uk
The next twelve months are likely to be a crucial period as we go through the divisional talks and try and establish what the BBC will look like and how it will function. Your membership of BECTU will be essential in protecting your interests.
There is a ballot paper included with this letter, and it is essential that you vote. As I have already said, BECTU is recommending that you vote YES in this ballot. Please return your ballot paper in the envelope provided to Luke Crawley at BECTU Head Office 373-377, Clapham Road, London SW9 9BT no later than 12 noon Monday 4th July 2005.
You have been sent this letter because according to our records you are an employee of the BBC. If this is not the case can you please email [email protected] and let us know which part of the BBC you work for.
Yours sincerely,
Luke Crawley
17th June 2005
Dear Member,
BBC BROADCAST CONSULTATIVE BALLOT
I am writing to you with the details of the offer from the BBC to provide guarantees following the sale of BBC Broadcast Ltd. Enclosed with this letter is a ballot paper and BECTU is advising you to vote YES to question 1 about the offer and NO to question 2 about the principle of the sale.
All BECTU members are to be congratulated for their solid support on the 23rd May. The strike gave the BBC such a shock that within 24 hours it had accepted an invitation from ACAS where it was compelled to negotiate with the unions on the issues we had tabled.
The reason for the dispute in Broadcast was to try and stop the sale of the company and if that was not possible then to get guarantees for you going forward. As a direct result of the strike action the BBC has conceded the protection that we sought although the sale now looks certain to go ahead.
The BBC have conceded that following the sale your terms and conditions will be protected for a minimum period of three years from the date of sale. The BBC have yet to decide which company will be allowed to buy Broadcast, they have written to us with a guarantee that whichever one it is, the protections we demanded will be in place. This means that all of the BBC Agreed Statements will be preserved unchanged for a minimum period of three years. This includes the redundancy agreement, your current salary and future expectations, annual leave, long service sick leave, maternity and paternity leave and a long list of others.
They have also agreed that the new owner will provide a final salary pension that will be identical in key respects to your BBC pension. Most importantly it will be based on a retirement age of 60, the salary earned in the final year of employment, an accrual rate of sixtieths. It will also allow those over 50 who are made redundant to receive an immediate undiscounted pension. This pension scheme is guaranteed to be unchanged for a period of three years.
The BBC have also agreed that there will be no compulsory redundancies for at least the first 12 months following the sale.
In addition, because it is a condition of the sale that it is treated as a transfer of undertakings (TUPE), trade union recognition transfers and BECTU can continue to represent you in negotiations with the new owner.
Although we have been unable to stop the sale this is undoubtedly a victory that has been won by you and your colleagues taking strike action on 23rd May. The protections outlined above are no less favourable than those agreed for BBC Technology when it was sold to Siemens. The offer outlined above does give you protection going forward. The offer also applies to all members in BDS which has transferred in from BBC Worldwide.
It now seems certain that BBC Broadcast will be sold so the next twelve months are likely to be a crucial period. Your membership of BECTU will be essential in protecting your interests in the new company and we need to recruit the non-members in order to strengthen the union position.
In the BBC we are balloting our members and recommending the offer which, if accepted, would mean going to divisional level talks. In the meantime the BBC ballot is suspended with the option of restarting the industrial action in the event of compulsory redundancies. In Resources the BBC have withdrawn the threat of sale until July 2007 and we will be recommending to our members that they accept the offer and if they do that means the dispute in Resources is over. Further details are on the website at www.BECTU.org.uk.
DO VOTE
There is a ballot paper included with this letter, and it is essential that you vote. As I have already said, BECTU is recommending that you vote YES to Question 1 because in our view it provides you with the protection we were seeking. If the offer is accepted then the dispute in Broadcast will be over. We are recommending that you vote NO to question two because we believe that the BBC should not be selling BBC Broadcast. A large NO vote will send a clear message to the BBC and to any new owner that the members in BBC Broadcast are still angry about what has happened. Further details are on the website at www.bectu.org.uk.
Please return your ballot paper in the envelope provided to Luke Crawley at BECTU Head Office 373-377, Clapham Road, London SW9 9BT no later than 12 noon Monday 4th July 2005.
You have been sent this letter because according to our records you are an employee of BBC Broadcast Ltd. If this is not the case can you please email [email protected] and let us know which part of the BBC you work for.
Yours sincerely,
Luke Crawley
17th June 2005
Dear Member,
RESOURCES LTD CONSULTATIVE BALLOT
Following the very successful strike on 23rd May and the subsequent negotiations with Mark Thompson, I am writing to give you details of the offer from the BBC in relation to BBC Resources Ltd. Enclosed with this letter is a ballot paper and BECTU is recommending that you vote YES in the ballot and this letter will explain why.
All BECTU members are to be congratulated for their solid support on the 23rd May. The strike gave the BBC such a shock that within 24 hours it had accepted an invitation from ACAS where it was compelled to negotiate with the unions.
The reason for the dispute was to try and stop the sale of BBC Resources Ltd. As a direct result of the strike action the BBC has conceded that it will not even begin to consider selling before January 2007 with a guarantee that no part of Resources will be sold before July 1st 2007
This gives us a breathing space between now and July 2007 and we should use it in preparing for a battle over any future attempt to sell BBC Resources Ltd. We must recruit non-members employed by Resources to ensure we have the greatest density of membership. If the BBC does try to proceed with the sale of Resources Ltd in two years time then we will need to be strong to protect your interests.
In Broadcast the BBC have provided the written guarantees we asked for and although the members are still angry at being sold by the BBC, we will be recommending that they accept the offer and that means the dispute in Broadcast is over. In the BBC we are balloting our members on the offer which, if accepted, would mean going to divisional level talks. In the meantime the ballot is suspended with the option of restarting the industrial action in the event of compulsory redundancies. Further details are on the website at www.bectu.org.uk.
There is a ballot paper included with this letter, and it is essential that you vote. BECTU is recommending that you vote YES to question 1.
Please return your ballot paper in the envelope provided to Luke Crawley at BECTU Head Office 373-377, Clapham Road, London SW9 9BT no later than 12 noon Monday 4th July 2005.
You have been sent this letter because according to our records you are an employee of BBC Resources Ltd. If this is not the case can you please email [email protected] and let us know which part of the BBC you work for.
Yours sincerely
Luke Crawley
Supervisory Official
BBC Division BECTU
Supervisory Official
BBC Division BECTU
Supervisory Official
BBC Division BECTU
Amended 12 July 2005
Comments received
The statement above contains the passage "the package tabled at ACAS last last month promises that there will be no compulsory redundancies elsewhere in the BBC until July 2006 at the earliest." And also the passage "the unions have demanded that staff in BBC World Service and Monitoring, should be given the same one-year promise of no compulsory redundancies." I would be disappointed if World Service and Monitoring were not covered by the first passage.
Jeremy, BBC staff, London UK 20 June 2005
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