Carlton hit by two disputes

Carlton TV faces trouble in rows over pay in the Midlands and HTV job cuts.

One of the disputes has led to a ballot for strike action among members in Nottingham, Birmingham, and Abingdon in an effort to improve their 2.5% annual pay offer.

The ballot is due to begin on 14 March, and the result will be announced on 28 March. Talks on the pay offer collapsed at ACAS last month, and members subsequently called for the industrial action ballot at a series of site meetings.

Trouble is also brewing at Carlton's latest acquisition, Cardiff-based HTV.

Soon after Carlton bought the company from United News and Media 28 redundancies were announced and consultations began with the recognised unions.

BECTU argued that the Carlton takeover of HTV was covered by the Transfer of Undertakings rules (TUPE), which protect employment and pay for staff who are handed over to a new employer.

However, Carlton claimed that because the change of ownership took place through a complex share deal with UNM, the TUPE rules did not apply, and the redundancies could go ahead.

The company said that their lawyers had backed this interpretation, however BECTU's legal advisers believe that there is no "economic, technical, or organisational reason" to justify the job cuts, and are now considering court action against Carlton.

Unions at HTV have said that they would be willing to negotiate on voluntary redundancies, but are adamantly opposed to any compulsory cuts.