LWT to talk at ACAS

London Weekend Television (LWT) are to meet BECTU at ACAS on 20 September for talks aimed at resolving the long-running dispute over pay.

The BECTU LWT Branch met last month (August 1999) to consider its position following the failure of management to respond effectively to an offer from Branch officials to settle a number of outstanding issues.

Branch members on 3 August resolved to invite management to accept an invitation to binding arbitration at ACAS within seven days or accept an escalation of continuing industrial action.

As an alternative the company opted to accept BECTU's earlier invitation to attend ACAS for conciliation on the issues.

Industrial action of not working less than 12 hours between turns of duty, which has been in place since 1 March 1999, will continue in the meantime. The action is in protest at LWT's pay offer of 3.6% in 1999, and RPI plus 0.5% next year.