Draft initiative agreement

Rosenblum Initiative conditions have been agreed subject to ratification.

Officials and representatives of BECTU and the NUJ met senior English Regions management on 21 June 2001 to discuss the Rosenblum Initiative. The aim of the meeting was to reach an agreement on a number of issues including grading, selection, training and deployment - see the draft agreement below.

Any agreement reached would have to be ratified by the Nations at a separate national level meeting.

Fiona MacBeth, Project Leader, gave a presentation on the Initiative:

• It will involve the use of lightweight cameras (Sony PD150) and desktop editing.
• It will be an additional resource and will not replace any other camera work or journalism.
• It will enable staff to get closer to stories.
• It is not a cost cutting or saving measure.
• There will be a significant investment centrally and locally in terms of training and kit procurement.
• 50 people from the three Nations and five English Regions (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London and Norwich) will attend a residential course. 26 people will be selected from the Regions.
• Selection will be voluntary and open to journalists and OST staff. Volunteers will be sought in the individual Regions taking part in the project.
• There will be a full evaluation, monitoring and review process, which will include quality, quantity and innovation.
• Additional safety training will be provided for operators and deployers. There will be an overview for ROMs and senior and middle managers.

Andy Griffee, Controller English Regions, told the unions the project would provide an enhancement rather than an "instead of". It would enable the Regions to get more cameras on the ground for more "under the skin" journalism. Safety issues would be part of the course and the unions would be provided with a syllabus and furnished with safety information.

Types of stories

Birmingham - wants to develop its presence in Wolverhampton which, it is felt, is currently under-served.

Bristol - wants three journalists to be trained as the core of a new investigative journalism unit. This will eventually rise to five or six people.

Leeds - is expecting to allocate three Humberside journalists, one Leeds-based person and one political programme.

London - would like to use one person in current affairs, one person in the Community Affairs Unit and one investigative journalist.

Norwich - is keen to explore programme making in current affairs and parliamentary output.

Selection

Andy Griffee was confident that some OST staff would meet the criteria for selection. He said he would be surprised if no OST staff were selected. He undertook to see that the unions were provided with an up-to-date list of staff who had received convergence training. BECTU would consider the continuing convergence programme to be applied in all regions. This would be an important factor in the review of the Rosenblum Initiative. Bill Merrill (OST) said ROMs had been engaging with HRLPs in the regions to better the skills of OST staff. The two-way-street issue was important. [Where journalists are being trained in technical areas, BECTU is insisting OST staff are trained in journalistic disciplines.] The intensive three weeks training programme will begin in early September.

Grading

Andy Griffee said the English Regions had an additional investment of 12 million pounds over the next two years. This was worth 200 to 250 extra jobs. The Initiative was about getting more for our money and not being done to save money. Staff could take some measure of comfort from that. Grading would be seen in the context of the multiskilling agreement currently being negotiated with the trade unions.

---

Draft agreement between English Regions' management and the trade unions on the Rosenblum Initiative

• A formal evaluation process, at local and national level, will continue throughout the six month duration of the project and a national level evaluation meeting will be held after five months to agree the future of the initiative, including a possible phase two, affecting a number of other regions.
• English Regions undertakes to consult with the unions on backfill arrangements once the selection process has been completed. We anticipate that backfill will be necessary in the majority of cases. We will treat all such posts as formal attachments with the exception of those trainees whose roles remain unchanged.
• Backfill arrangements will be formally reviewed three months into the project and any proposed changes will be discussed with the unions at national level.
• Grading issues relating to this project will be subject to a national agreement on multiskilling. Both sides are committed to reaching an agreement before the project begins.
• English Regions Safety Advisors will communicate the detail of relevant content of the course and any other safety issues to the unions. All deployment will only be done by staff who have undergone relevant and proper training.
• The selection process will be open to all ER staff (including OST) on a volunteer basis in the relevant region and the key selection criteria are: aptitude/ interest in cameras and editing; innovative/creative thinking on how to use new lightweight or desktop technology; and editorial aptitude.
• Individuals will not need to have personal insurance liability for their equipment and the continuing local evaluation will monitor that appropriate transport arrangements are in place for appropriate tasks.
• A complete list of the relevant equipment will be communicated to the unions in advance of the course and adequate support and maintenance arrangements will be made in co-ordination with the ROMs.
• We believe the current Heads of Agreement on multiskilling/deployment of single camera operator/journalists including relevant appendices on story selection and deployment guidelines should determine the appropriate way of approaching the project.
• During the project, trainees will be used to enhance our journalism and get to stories that we would not normally be able to get to.