ITN 10% claim
The 1998 BECTU and NUJ pay and conditions claim at ITN includes a 10 per cent increase in basic salary rates.
The claim by the unions at ITN (Independent Television News) consists of 4 elements:
1. Pay
Staff at ITN have experienced a marked decline in their pay in recent years.
This situation has not been helped by the company's operation of a salary sacrifice scheme which has in effect enabled the company to provide profit related increases without, critically, the benefit of consolidation in future years for pay and pension purposes.
In 1997 the first step of the phasing out of the scheme brought an average loss to staff of almost 3.0 per cent; staff face further losses next year as the scheme gets nearer to closure.
In 1997 and 1998 the company recognised the long-held interest of staff in consolidated pay awards and implemented increases of 2.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively. In examining these awards ITN needs to recognise that average earnings across industry in those years (July figures) were 4.8 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively. Currently, inflation stands at 3.7 per cent.
In summary the clear drift of ITN pay, particularly in the last two years, coupled with the long term negative effect of profit related pay convinces the joint unions that the 1999 claim has to be significant to meet union members' need for pensionable earnings which reflect their contribution to the company.
Staff have delivered increased productivity and greater flexibility to ITN at a time of significant news demand and company development. The unions believe that ITN should now begin to address the rights of staff to fair and equitable rates of pay. For the reasons stated above the joint union claim for 1999 is for an increase in basic rates of 10 per cent.
2. Pensions
ITN employ a number of staff on fixed term contracts which have been subject to renewal. We believe that the long-term relationships which are being established by this means should be reflected in the ability of fixed term contract staff to join ITN's pension scheme and in the willingness of the company to make the requisite contributions where staff elect to join. The unions' claim is therefore that fixed term contract staff become eligible to join the ITN company pension when they accrue two years' service.
3. Transfer of Staff to Continuing Contract
The joint unions are proposing that last year's agreement to offer permanent status to staff employed on a freelance/fixed-term contract for a minimum two years be continued. The joint unions are also requesting a clear statement of best practice to cover the timing of renewal decisions and the preferred minimum length of renewal.
4. Multi-Skilling/New Technology
The joint unions wish to arrive at an agreement to cover multi-skilling: the unions believe that agreement should address pay and grading implications, programme quality, health and safety and training.
NOTE: ITN (Independent Television News) provides news services for a number of UK broadcasters, including ITV (Channel 3) and Channel 4.