MTV resists union poll of staff

BECTU has accused the music channel of blocking a ballot on union recognition.

The station is threatening to deny staff a vote on union representation unless they have individually requested ballot papers during an interview with managers.

Staff are due to be balloted by an independent scrutineer on recognition of BECTU at MTV, but company lawyers have claimed that home addresses cannot be provided unless individuals have given express approval, in one-to-one interviews, for their information to be forwarded.

Union officials have condemned this as an opportunity for managers to intimidate staff who support a BECTU presence in their workplace, and has complained to the Central Arbitration Council (CAC), the government body overseeing new legislation on union recognition.

BECTU is hoping that MTV will be instructed to provide addresses for staff to the scrutineer on a confidential basis, since the ballot is a legal obligation following an earlier ruling by the CAC.

The clock is already ticking for a ballot that is due to begin on March 6, and the union is currently in a legally-prescribed "access" phase of the new recognition process, under which BECTU officials are allowed onto the company's premises to explain the benefits of recognition to staff.

Two meetings are planned at MTV prior before ballot forms are mailed out. Details below.

BECTU has been trying to secure recognition at MTV for several months, and decided to use the new legislation after repeated attempts failed to persuade the company to allow the union in voluntarily, despite a growing level of union membership in the workforce.

Under new labour laws unions can demand that staff in a company are balloted on union recognition, provided they can show that an adequate level of support is already there.

Efforts to win recognition at MTV have passed this stage, and the union now needs to win an overall majority of the ballot, in which all staff will participate, with the proviso that the actual number voted in favour must represent at least 40% of the overall workforce.

BECTU is urging all MTV staff to take part in the ballot, to ensure that the 40% threshold is passed. Without that critical level of support the union could stay locked out of the company, even if the actual ballot result shows a majority in support of recognition.