Pay action at Granada

Granada union members have have voted by a huge majority to take industrial action in protest against their below inflation pay increase of three per cent.

Members at Granada Television, the UK ITV North West broadcaster, voted 93% in favour of industrial action in a recent ballot.

BECTU national official Freda Chapman said: "Our members seem to be bottom of the pile when Granada is drawing up its pay policies. The [Granada Group] executive directors' pay increases averaged 23%, shareholders got an 11% increase on the previous year's dividends, and even the pensioners got 3.7% - matching inflation. Our members are not prepared to put up with a pay increase that doesn't even keep up with inflation.

"Granada's meanness to its staff has been the final straw after years of penny-pinching and job losses."

BECTU, the AEU, and the NUJ are also in dispute over pay in other Granada Media Group companies - London Weekend Television, Yorkshire Television, and Tyne Tees Television.

Freelance sound engineers are also in dispute with Granada TV, refusing work at less than £19 per hour.

The Granada shops have set up a Tactical Strategy Committee which will decide what form the industrial action will take. Staff and freelances at Granada will be notified of what they are to do as the campaign develops.

In the meantime, freelances who are asked to work for Granada should contact either a member of the staff branch committee, or the North West BECTU office on 0161 274 3174 before accepting new contracts.