Have you worked on The Bill recently?

BECTU is trying to contact freelance members who have worked on one of ITV's most popular programmes.

The union is on the brink of agreeing with production company Freemantle that established freelancers working on the show will be balloted on full union recognition by the company.

Union officers have been pressing for recognition on behalf of freelancers on The Bill for more than three years. Protracted talks with the company broke down in 2003, and the current discussions began when the union signalled its intention to lodge a claim for statutory recognition under new labour laws.

The proposed ballot, which Freemantle will be running voluntarily, could result in a recognition agreement covering all workers on the programme.

National official Tom Bell said: "As is always the case in recognition ballots, the list of names and addresses of those to receive a ballot paper will be provided by the employer. Data protection bars the unioin from access to this list. BECTU therefore has to build up its own picture of the members in the bargaining unit.

"Please let us know if you have worked on The Bill in the last year, or if you know anyone else who has", said Bell.

Tom Bell can be contacted on 020 7346 0900 or via e-mail: [email protected]