News hours action

News staff are to carry out industrial action because of unagreed working hours changes.

86% of staff balloted in London News Support have voted in favour of regular periods of industrial action starting 9 October 2003.

A reorganisation of News Support staff based at Television Centre has recently brought together IT (Information Technology) and Engineering categories following extended negotiations between BECTU and management.

In principle BECTU had no problem with this convergence of the two groups of staff because of the direction technology is moving in News.

Working hours were not discussed at the original convergence negotiations. The management did not raise the issue and neither did BECTU, knowing that if this was discussed the convergence negotiations would probably fail on this issue.

Convergence implementation therefore proceeded.

However a few months later management unilaterally changed the working hours of the converged ex-IT staff. This was not negotiated, and as previously had been expected, is very unpopular with the staff concerned.

BECTU requested discussion on the matter but the management response included:

"Furthermore, it is clear to me that in raising issues which have already been discussed in great detail, and agreed upon, you are once more attempting to re-open old negotiations. In my view this is nothing more than another attempt to frustrate the management from carrying out their responsibilities to manage the day to day business of running an operation. The way in which you do this does nothing to help relations, or staff moral, indeed the communications you send to the staff are in my view inflammatory, and irresponsible.

I am not prepared to enter into further discussions with you on this matter. I have no intention of re-opening for debate issues which have already been agreed at the DLM and neither do I accept there has been any breach of procedure.

In finishing it is only fair that I should advise you that I no longer find your repeated attempts to frustrate the Support management acceptable. I will over the next few days be considering the options with regard to taking these matters further. "

Quite what "taking these matters further" means is open to debate, suffice to say the union have heard nothing further from the management.

Chair London Television News Branch enquired:

"Many thanks for your response. Can you let me know if this is addressed to me as a BECTU Representative or in a personal capacity."

To which there has been no reply.

BECTU had no other option but to ballot the staff concerned as the management did not wish discuss the issue.

An industrial action instruction has therefore been issued to ex-IT staff in News Resources:

"Despite the recent ballot result indicating the strength of feeling regarding the above, management have not yet approached BECTU with a view to discussing the matter further.

Accordingly this letter calls on you to act on the ballot result and instructs you to take discontinuous strike action on the following dates:

October

Thursday 9th, Monday 13th & Wednesday 15th October and on the Monday and Wednesday of each subsequent week until further notice (ie the 20th, 22nd, 27th & 29th).

November

3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 17th, 19th, 24th & 26th November and so on until further notice.

Further to this, on advice from BECTU's solicitors management have been informed that action may take place between 05.00 and 09.00 and/or 20.00 and 23.00."