Ballot delayed on The Bill

A vote on union recognition for the crew of ITV's police drama has been held up by talks between BECTU and producers Freemantle.

The union has been unable to agree with the production company whether or not freelancers working on daily contracts should be allowed to vote in the ballot, which had been expected to start this month.

Freemantle, who produce the programme, believe that this group should be excluded from the ballot, while BECTU has been arguing that they are entitled to vote, and to be included in any collective agreement that might be introduced if the union succeeds in winning recognition.

Discussions brokered by ACAS, the government conciliation service, failed to break the deadlock between the two sides, but direct talks between BECTU and Freemantle are expected to continue later this month.

The union has formally requested another meeting with Freemantle once the company has had time to gather precise data about its workforce.

Meanwhile, any members who have worked on the show during the last year, or expect to do so in the next three months, and have not lodged their names with BECTU, should urgently contact the union on 020 7346 0900, or e-mail [email protected].