New ITN contracts accepted

BECTU and NUJ members at ITN have voted to accept new contracts which include night working.

The decision was made in a postal ballot which closed today 9 February, and members of the two unions voted in favour of the new contracts by a margin of 4 to 1.

In BECTU's ballot, 68% of members at the company participated, and 75% voted in favour of a package of proposals, which included the introduction of nightworking and a pay rise of up to 3.5% for some staff this year, and RPI plus 2% in 2001.

Implementation of the package will be phased, with the 2000 pay rise backdated to 1 January, and the bulk of the new scheduling arrangements coming into effect on 1 April

ITN started negotiations over the new contracts last year, spurred on by the imminent launch of a new 24 hour news channel which would require staff who had previously worked day duties, to work nights as well.

Initial talks floundered, and in a consequent industrial action ballot, members of the two unions voted by more than 90% to strike against the changes if necessary.

Following the announcement of the strike ballot result, ITN's management resumed discussions with the unions, and early in January tabled the new package which members have now been willing to accept. Although negotiators and shop stewards gave no recommendation on which way members should vote, the package was described as the best that could be achieved through negotiation.