Insurance charge approved in vote

Thousands of BECTU freelancers have voted to start paying for third-party insurance.

In a postal ballot, 3,742 members voted to retain the union's current insurance scheme, with only 230 votes against.

BECTU ran the ballot after the insurers increased the annual premium for the group scheme by 500%, and the union had to consider either dropping the scheme, or introducing an annual charge of £12 per member.

Until the unexpected increase in the premium for the scheme, the insurance cover had been a free benefit of union membership.

Members voting in the ballot were told that the proposed annual charge represented excellent value for money - individuals attempting to purchase professional third party insurance direct from brokers have to pay premiums running into hundreds of pounds.

The union's Head Office will be writing to members within the next six weeks, outlining their options for payment of the £12 charge.