Talks extended on BBC job cuts

Staff on strike last year at BBC Scotland where compulsory cuts are threatened.

Staff on strike last year at BBC Scotland where compulsory redundancies are still threatened.

Unions have won another round of discussions over a threat of more than 200 compulsory redundancies.

Senior union officials met BBC Director-General Mark Thompson yesterday, January 12, to review the progress of local negotiations on a plan to cut more than 3,000 posts across the Corporation.

At the meeting Thompson agreed that talks, originally destined to finish last December, should be extended until April 1, with managers under an obligation to "redouble" their efforts to minimise compulsory redundancies.

Read joint statement from unions and BBC

BBC unions pledged to fight for all job cuts to be voluntary in a campaign last year, which culminated in a one-day stoppage on May 23.

Following the strike, unions reached an agreement, brokered by government conciliation service ACAS, under which detailed discussions on the planned job cuts were conducted at local level throughout the latter half of 2005.

However, despite constructive efforts by union representatives and managers to achieve headcount reductions by voluntary means only, more than 200 staff still faced compulsory redundancy when BECTU, NUJ, and Amicus met Thompson at yesterday's summit meeting.

Among the areas with significant numbers of compulsory cuts were BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, Factual & Learning, Drama, and News Division.

At the meeting with Mark Thompson the union delegation outlined their opposition to compulsory redundancies, and their willingness to resist them with further strike action if necessary.

More than 90% of the planned job cuts had already been achieved through volunteers and natural wastage, said the unions, and the residue was, proportionately, so small that the BBC should be willing to re-visit the local discussions and come up with a solution which avoided compulsory redundancies.

Thompson refused to rule out the possibility of some job cuts ultimately being compulsory, but agreed to another round of talks in areas which had not achieved their cuts targets entirely through voluntary means.

In return, the unions agreed to a temporary suspension of a 1998 agreement which gives extended notice to staff facing redundancy. This will allow the BBC to issue three months' notice of redundancy to staff affected by the cuts on April 1 this year, in keeping with a promise from management after last year's strike that nobody would be made compulsorily redundant until July 1 2006.

BECTU is now planning to mail all BBC members with an explanation of the agreement struck with Thompson yesterday, and officials will be pressing managers to set up urgent negotiating meetings in areas where compulsory cuts are threatened.

Read letter to BECTU members

Another summit meeting with the Director-General is expected later in the year.

Joint Statement Agreed Between BECTU, NUJ, AMICUS and the BBC

Change Programme Progress Meeting: 12th January 2006

Both sides acknowledged the considerable progress made in divisional talks since last June's ACAS agreement. The unions emphasised that compulsory redundancies were unacceptable to their members. They also told Mark Thompson that they believed there were further steps the BBC could take to achieve its targets through voluntary rather than compulsory means but said they were concerned that time was running out and that, unless progress could be made, further industrial action was inevitable.

For the BBC, Mark Thompson said that the BBC had to meet its value for money and headcount targets and that the change programme had to continue within the context of the existing divisional talks and the timetable laid down in the ACAS agreement. The DG however committed himself to ensuring that the unions' suggestions were fed into the divisional talks. The BBC's divisional directors would be asked to redouble their efforts to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies. He also said the BBC would look again at whether it was feasible to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies through better inter-divisional coordination.

In order to give the divisional talks the best chance of making progress while remaining within the ACAS timetable, the unions offered on a wholly exceptional basis and for the period from today to the 1st April this year only, to waive two months of the five month redeployment period which staff who are being made compulsorily redundant are entitled to under the statement agreed by the unions and the BBC in 1998. This would not change the earliest date under the ACAS agreement at which the compulsory redundancies in the present change programme could be effected: that would remain the 1st of July 2006. It would however mean that the first date at which it might be necessary to send out any compulsory redundancy notices would now be the 1st April this year, allowing more time for management and unions to try to reduce the need for compulsory redundancies further.

In conclusion, the unions stated that they believed that the BBC should be able to achieve all its targets without the need for compulsory redundancies. The DG reiterated his position that he could not rule out the need for compulsories in some divisions but said he remained committed to achieving as much as possible through voluntary means.

The DG offered to meet union officials towards the end of the year for a further update on progress on the change programme.

Letter to BECTU members in the BBC

13th January 2006

Dear Colleagues

Following successful strike action in May 2005 we secured an agreement with the Director-General that no compulsory redundancies would occur before 1st July 2006. After months of constructive negotiations the BBC has secured over 90% of the job losses without having to consider compulsory redundancies. However, approximately 225 people were about to be advised that they have been selected for compulsory redundancy. Under an agreement reached between the unions and the BBC in 1998 which provides for individuals to receive 5 months notice of redundancy, (3 months of this notice is the maximum contractual notice anyone would be entitled to and the remaining 2 months was to be used to find redeployment opportunities if possible). Therefore it would be necessary in the current circumstances for the BBC to advise no later than the 1st February 2006 if they intended to make them redundant on 1st July 2006.

Representatives from BECTU and the NUJ met in London on Wednesday 11th January and agreed that strike action should recommence if the BBC insisted on issuing compulsory redundancy notices. It remains the joint unions' view that the remaining 225 jobs could be dealt with by natural wastage and redeployment subject to the senior management in the BBC redoubling its efforts to achieve this. We met the Director-General, Mark Thompson on 12th January and following the five hour meeting the attached statement was agreed. You will see that this ensures that no notice of compulsory redundancies will be issued to individuals before 1st April 2006. You will also see that the Director-General has put his backing behind a redoubling of efforts in order to minimise any need for compulsory redundancies. In F&L a selection process has already commenced and we have therefore agreed with the BBC that with the exception of the Executive Producers, where the result of the selection is known, in all other grades the results will not be disclosed before the 1st April 2006 and only then if there remains a shortfall of volunteers. However, we hope that with the commitment of the Director-General and the best endeavours of the unions that compulsory redundancies will not be necessary and individuals will not need to know if they were likely to be selected or not.

There are a number of single post closures which we have agreed with the BBC would be better addressed by the unions making individuals representations to the Head of Employee Relations in order to deal with these cases on an individual basis.

The joint unions will hold Mark Thompson to his word and ensure that the management across the BBC put in the necessary efforts to reduce/eradicate the need for compulsory redundancies. Failure to do so will result in strike action being put back on to the agenda. If that is necessary, it is important that you support such action as this is the first year of a minimum of a 3 year change programme and if we allow the BBC to make unnecessary compulsory redundancies in year 1 then that will continue to be the trend for the remaining years.

The progress we have made has been as a result of the fantastic support the unions received in May during the strike days and it is important that the unions' numerical strength is not diminished as a result of the voluntary redundancies. There are many big challenges ahead of us and I would urge you to ask a non-member to join BECTU by either filling in the enclosed application form or getting a form online at www.bectu.org.uk.

Thank you for your continued support we will keep you updated on negotiations as they continue.

Yours sincerely

Gerry Morrissey
Assistant General Secretary
BECTU

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

13th January 2006

Stay of execution for BBC strike action

After five hours of talks yesterday between the BBC and joint unions of BECTU, NUJ and Amicus, an agreement has been reached that will halt strike action by union members at the BBC in protest over compulsory redundancies of approximately 225 staff. This is to allow the Director-General and senior management time to minimise or eradicate the need for compulsory redundancies.

Last year the BBC threatened to axe over 3,000 jobs as part of its Value for Money initiative. Following a nationwide 24-hour stoppage on 23rd May, which caused widespread disruption, the BBC agreed at an ACAS meeting in June that no-one would be made compulsorily redundant and forced to leave the BBC until at least 1st July 2006.

While 90% of the reduction has been achieved through voluntary means, the BBC is intending to meet the remaining shortfall of 225 positions by compulsory redundancies. Staff were due to start being issued notices on around 1st February, but yesterday's meeting has ensured no notices will be issued before 1st April.

The main areas where jobs are under threat include BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, Factual & Learning, Drama and News. Union members find the job threats particularly hard to swallow following reports that the BBC distributed over £15million in staff bonuses in 2005.

BECTU's Assistant General Secretary Gerry Morrissey commented, "Strike action has been avoided in order to allow the Direct-General and his senior management team to redouble their efforts and work with the union to find redeployment for the remaining 225 staff at risk of compulsory redundancy.

"However, if it becomes clear in March that compulsory redundancies remain on the agenda, strike action will become inevitable."

For further information, please contact Gerry Morrissey on 07850 317866 or the BECTU press office on 020 7346 0900.

13 January 2006