Strike vote at Scottish Media

Union members at Scottish and Grampian TV have voted for a series of 24-hour stoppages.

In a ballot which closed on March 17, BECTU members at Scottish Television voted 68% in favour of the action, while Aberdeen-based union members at Grampian TV backed industrial action by a majority of 81%.

Participation in the ballot was 78% at Scottish and 85% at Grampian. A separate ballot of NUJ members produced even higher majorities in favour of action - the ballot of AEEU electricians is still open.

A meeting of members in Glasgow soon after the ballot result was declared voted to commence 24-hour stoppages to persuade Scottish Media Group to re-open negotiations on controversial plans for redundancies and cuts in earnings.

Under UK labour laws, companies must be given 7 days warning of industrial action, and BECTU and the NUJ are likely to announce the date of the first stoppage after a meeting of members at Grampian on Monday March 20.

The unions have emphasised that they are willing to continue discussions with SMG, but have so far received no approaches from the company.

Scottish Media's difficulties have been increased by the Independent Television Commission, the ITV regulator, which has summoned company representatives to a meeting to answer a union-lodged complaint that SMG has failed to honour the commitments it made when its broadcasting licence was issued.