Forum provokes GCap

An issue first flagged up on the BECTU members' web forum has provoked GCap and aroused interest in the national press.

On 30 September, GCap, the company created by the merger of Capital Radio and the GWR Group, announced they were making 70-100 redundancies.

Shortly afterwards, an appeal was made via the BECTU web forum for the union to offer support to staff losing their jobs, amidst concerns over the way the redundancies were being carried out.

As a result a national official of the union visited Capital and met many of the affected staff.

Subsequently a redundancy advice leaflet was produced and circulated to members and others contacting BECTU from GCap, and on Friday 14 October, union officials leafleted outside of Capital's Leicester Square building.

The issue of these redundancies, and the perceived lack of proper consultation has now been raised in the Media Guardian and Broadcast websites, and the management of GCap, where the union is not recognised, were forced to respond to BECTU's letter questioning the number of redundancies and the manner of consultation.

National Official Nigel Mason commented: "The concerns raised over these redundancies highlight the need for people working in commercial radio to be members of the union and to get proper advice and support. If we had better levels of membership in companies such as GCap, we could use the law to obtain union recognition and therefore ensure that when there are redundancies or other major changes, then there is proper consultation".