APTN members ballot in pay dispute

Industrial action looms at AP Television News as staff vote on a 1.5% pay increase.

BECTU and NUJ members are running a consultative ballot after a meeting of the unionised workforce on June 22 condemned the management's final pay offer.

Presented with a union claim for a 6.5% rise, management made an offer of a basic increase of 1.5%, less than half the 3.1% inflation figure. A further 1.5% of the wage bill would, according to APTN, be given to staff as "merit pay", however there was no guarantee that this would be distributed equitably.

Union members fear that the top-up increase would given unfairly to a small number of staff.

In the ballot, which closes on July 10, BECTU members are being asked whether they accept the offer, and whether they would participate in a strike ballot in an effort to improve it.

APTN also faces problems over payment of overtime, which is due to be discussed at ACAS on July 4. Talks with the unions broke down when management insisted that turns of duty could be extended by up to two hours without triggering a 1.5T overtime payment.

Payment of overtime while staff work away from base is also threatened, and this issue is on the agenda of the ACAS talks.

Negotiators hope that management will be prepared to reopen the pay talks if members reject the 1.5% increase.

The union letter to members taking part in the ballot

23.06.00

Dear Colleague

The pay negotiations at APTN are now entering their final phase. The company have made what they consider to be their final offer. It is a good time for us to have a consultative ballot of you, the membership, to determine how you feel about this offer.

This is not a ballot for industrial action: it is, as the name suggests, 'consultative' and is designed to give us a strong sense of how you feel and empower us in the last critical stage of our negotiations with this difficult company.

THE COMPANY'S OFFER

1. APTN are offering all staff covered by the collective agreement a pay increase of 1.5% across the board, effective from May 1st..
2. In addition to this a sum, equivalent to 1.5% of the payroll covering those employees will be set aside as a 'merit pot' which will be allocated by the company on an individual basis.
3. The company have refused to negotiate freelance rates with the unions though they have agreed to further discussions regarding recent legislation concerning family friendly policies.

OUR EVALUATION OF THE OFFER

1. 1.5% across the board is insulting - nothing less.
2. An additional merit without any award for individual members of staff is in principle objectionable. It clearly would be divisive, driving wedges between individual members of staff in their day-to-day working relationships, and establish a dangerous precedent by undermining our ability to negotiate acceptable pay awards now and in the future. The fact that this additional reward would be at the sole discretion of management is almost laughably unacceptable. The company has stated that the merit element will be distributed without any formal structure and the payments will only be made when individuals reach their anniversary date thereby delaying this for much of the staff.
3. The refusal to negotiate freelance rates with your chosen representatives is intolerable.

The recent history of this company's relationship with its staff and its representative unions is not a good one. You will recall that last year they attempted to bypass the unions by trying to set up a 'tame' staff council to replace meaningful negotiations with the workers' representatives, the trade unions. With the overwhelming support of the staff, we were able to force APTN to abandon this stratagem.

The result of this was, as you will again recall, a Collective Agreement including a pay increase across the board of 3% last year.

Before the ink was properly dry on this document, the company were using the Agreement as a springboard for disputation and re-interpretation rather than as a basis for fruitful co-operation between company and workforce. The dissatisfaction this caused, coupled with redundancies and uncertainties of employment, has resulted in the current very low morale in the company and a widely and deeply felt lack of confidence in the management.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Without your support, nothing. If you feel that the company's offer is a fair and reasonable one, then say so. If enough of you take this view, then that will be the end of that.

If, however, you think, as we do, that this offer is entirely unacceptable, not to say insulting - tell us so in great numbers - then we can win the day and secure a final settlement from this company which is more in accord with the financial needs of our members as well as their dignity and respect as valued members of the workforce.

Therefore, in conclusion, we ask you to do three things:

1. Fill in the ballot form
2. Send it to Jim Carroll at BECTU by 10th July in the enclosed prepaid envelope.
3. Do it now

Support your union in supporting you.

Yours fraternally

JIM CARROLL
National Official
on behalf of the joint union committee at APTN