Granada strike date fixed

Union members at TV stations owned by Granada Media Group are planning a two-hour stoppage in protest at their pay offer.

The strike, timed to start at 1200 noon on Friday February 26, is the first blow in a campaign of industrial action aimed at improving the 3.8% pay offer made to staff at Granada TV, Tyne Tees TV, Yorkshire TV and London Weekend TV.

After the two-hour stoppage, members of BECTU, NUJ and AEEU plan to start an indefinite work-to-rule on Monday March 1 - from that date union members will refuse to work shifts which infringe a 12 hour break between turns of duty.

This form of action will affect many of GMG's flagship productions, including Coronation Street, Emmerdale Farm, Heartbeat, and Blind Date.

Members in the four companies voted for industrial action by a majority of more than 75% after talks on the joint unions' 11% pay claim broke down. Pressure from members for an increase better than the company's 3.8% offer was increased when GMG revealed that Chief Executive Gerry Robinson had pocketed UKP£968,000 in a year when the average take-home pay of staff actually fell.

Granada was given seven days notice of the stoppage on February 26, and the unions were prepared to re-enter discussions if management made a significantly improved new pay offer.