Members urged to vote yes for Fund

BECTU is urging members to vote yes in a ballot to continue the union's Political Fund.

Electoral Reform Services are distributing Political Fund review ballot papers to BECTU members in Britain - completed papers have to be returned by 1200 on Friday 12 November 2004.

Members are urged by the union to vote yes in order to allow BECTU to continue vital lobbying work on government policies and legislation, and to retain BECTU's voice in Parliament and in Europe.

Without a Political fund to defend members' interests on government policy and legislation, BECTU would be prevented by law from lobbying effectively on such issues as:

• BBC Charter review
• Cuts in theatre and arts funding
• The 48-hour working time opt-out
• Regional ITV production

The Political Fund review ballot is not connected with affiliation to the Labour Party.

A yes vote preserves members' individual right whether or not to contribute to the political fund. £1.56 of British members' ordinary annual BECTU subscription (it's not a separate levy) is allocated to the Political Fund, unless a member asks to be exempt.

BECTU members outside Great Britain are not required to contribute and are not being balloted, so those in Northern Ireland, although being part of the UK, will not receive ballot papers for legal reasons.

British-based unions with Political Funds are required by law to hold review ballots every ten years.