Stage, Screen & Radio - December/January 2015 - 16

General Secretary

Prospects for 2015

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ©ROD LEON, MARK DIMMOCK, KEN MCKAY © ITV, MARK THOMAS/ REX

"

BECTU General Secretary Gerry Morrissey looks back
over a tough but successful year, during which thousands
of members won pay rises and improved working
conditions, and he sets out the challenges that lie ahead.

2014 has been another very busy year
for BECTU's staff and representatives
as we continue to fight against the
effects of austerity and challenges
facing all of our members in the
creative sector. Despite these
challenges the union has had a
number of successes. The union's
policy of eradicating low pay and
securing a Living Wage for all
members has made notable
progress during 2014.
A long dispute took place at the
Ritzy Cinema in Brixton where the
Picturehouse management resisted
all attempts for a Living Wage. After
14 strikes and a number of sessions
at the conciliation service ACAS, an
agreement was reached for a
significant increase in hourly rates.
Whilst not achieving the London Living
Wage immediately, further discussion
in 2015 were part of this settlement.
As I write this piece, other
Picturehouse venues have organised
themselves and the union has made
an approach to the Central Arbitration
Committee for recognition.
Predictably the management has
resisted union recognition at these
venues.
The Curzon Cinema Group, where
we had a difficult campaign to achieve
recognition in 2013, has now agreed
to pay all of our members the London
Living Wage. The 40 Commercial West
End Theatres covered by the BECTU
Agreement with The Society of
London Theatre recently reached
an agreement, after 14 hours of
negotiations at ACAS, that the lowest
paid workers will receive at least a
£1 per hour increase.
Whilst we make significant progress
in these areas in achieving a Living
Wage, other sectors such as the
fashion industry continue to employ
workers on no pay. A recent example
of this is an agency acting on behalf
of Miss World pageant wanting 100
make-up artists to work for free. Our

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members in this area, just like our
members at the Ritzy and Curzon,
have run successful social media
campaigns to highlight the abuses
and conditions they are expected
to work under.
In other areas, where our members
are earning significantly more than
the Living Wage, negotiations on pay
increases have been difficult but
again have been relatively successful.
A two-year pay deal was agreed with
the BBC. The second part of that deal
will be a 2.5% increase in August 2015.
A three-year pay deal was agreed with
The Society of London Theatre which
averaged at a minimum of 2.75% a
year for the highest paid staff and
up to a 20% increase for the lower
paid staff.
Members at ITV will have seen the
company's profits rise and significant
share dividends have been paid to
shareholders. BECTU made it clear to
management that the derisory pay
offer of below 2% is unacceptable.
Likewise members from UK
Theatres met at the union's head
office on 25 November and agreed
a new pay claim for 2015, which we
believe will be the beginning of
bringing the curtain down on low
pay in regional theatres.
The long-running discussions with
PACT on a Feature Film Agreement
will continue until March of next year
with members from all branches
rejecting PACT's latest offer in a
meeting of delegates in October.

improved terms and conditions in
the workplace across the UK.
In 2014 BECTU has won new
recognition agreements for workers
in all sectors. I hope 2015 will result
in even more agreements as workers
everywhere need a union.
In May of this year, BECTU held its
annual conference in Eastbourne.
A lot of new representatives were
present at the conference and there
were many young members there.
The Young Members Forum of BECTU
is extremely active and contributes in
no small way to the industrial activities
of the union and played a major part
in ensuring that this year's conference
took place against a background of
a positive atmosphere.
INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE

What I outline above is only an
example of the work conducted by
BECTU on behalf of our members
throughout the year. In addition,
hundreds of members were
represented at individual
disciplinaries, grievances and
appeals procedures. We advise
members on tax, copyright, pensions
and, of course, on contracts. The
union pursues employers who fail
to pay freelance members for work
already undertaken and sometimes

New delegates:
BECTU's annual
conference
welcomed a large
number of
members
attending for the
first time. Below:
Prospect members
at the National
Gallery strike for
the London Living
Wage in January.
Right: ITV
Daytime: BECTU
members have
made ITV a very
successful
company

FEATURE FILM AGREEMENT

Crucial to all of the union's activities
are branch representatives and in
2014 BECTU's training department
provided branch officers' training to
over 200 representatives. This is a
significant achievement and hopefully
these representatives, along with
other long established
representatives, will be able to
continue to fight for decent pay and
Stage Screen & Radio December/January 2015
Stage, Screen & Radio - December/January 2015

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