Resources trainees in dispute

BECTU is pressing for trainees to get better pay and classroom training.

At a formal dispute meeting on July 22 the union called for trainee Assistant Operators and Technical Assistants in Resources to be given a minimum salary of £14,750, with unpredictability allowances of 20% and standard conditions of service.

Management of Resources Limited responded by proposing a buy-out salary worth £14,000 for first year trainees, who would work a maximum of 180 days a year.

In their second year, said management, trainees' salaries would rise to £15,500, with the possibility of £87 per day being paid for work beyond 180 days.

Union representatives turned down the proposal, but agreed to consult with members among existing trainees. They believed that the company should honour the minimum salary of £11,500 being paid by the BBC elsewhere as a result of this year's pay settlement.

Once the value of enhanced London Weighting for low-paid staff was added to this minimum, this would rise to the £14,750 claimed by the union.

Resources Limited now conducts pay bargaining separately from the BBC and managers believed that the company was not obliged to pay the £11,500 minimum.

Apart from pay and conditions problems, the union was also concerned about the lack of classroom-based training on electronic and broadcasting theory being offered to trainees.

Management agreed to discuss the training syllabus with union reps, but warned that they might not be able to increase the duration of off-the-job training being provided currently. This totals 6 weeks in Post Production, 4-5 weeks in Studios, and only 2 weeks in OBs.

According to management, trainees were already receiving training worth £5,000 each on average, and cash constraints prevented the company paying more.

Resources Ltd hopes to recruit up to 25 new trainees in October on a self-financing basis, by which the cost of their salaries and training would be recovered over their two-year traineeship by being charged to productions at fully-qualified rates.

BECTU is trying to block the recruitment process until the argument over pay and quality of training is resolved.

A further, and possibly final, negotiating meeting, is due within two weeks. A separate meeting to discuss the training syllabus is due on July 31, where reps will propose a new package, particularly in Studios and OBs.