BECTU Backs Labour Victory

As the votes are being cast today across the UK, a top broadcast trade union has thrown its support behind a Labour victory.
Gerry Morrissey, BECTU General Secretary, has highlighted the attitude of the main political parties on the issues which affect members and finds that BECTU is "safer with Labour and most threatened by the Conservatives".
Gerry Morrissey is on record as saying that as polling day arrives, many are still deciding whom to vote for.
"A comparison of the main parties' manifestos coupled with a look at their records in office makes clear that on the issues most important to BECTU members - whether it's the national minimum wage, the BBC or broadcasting generally, film, arts funding, pensions, trade union rights - we are safer with Labour and most threatened by the Conservatives."
He said that Labour will raise the wage in line with average earnings until 2015 and while Liberals are going further in some ways saying the rate will apply at the same rate to all workers over the age of 16 other than those on apprenticeships - but crucially the Conservatives propose no increases.
The union boss continued: "We know there are going to be cuts in the public sector and these will affect many of our members.
"However the Conservatives have said that they will reduce the deficit quicker than Labour proposes and in order to achieve this there will have to be deeper public cuts.
"While Labour will retain the Film Tax Credit the other parties have nothing to say on this," he commented, also noting that Labour will not cut this year's Arts Council budget while the Tories have made no commitment, and the Liberals are advocating changing the taxation regime around the National Lottery in a way that they envisage creating additional revenues for training, mentoring and small grants to creative businesses.
He also said Labour guarantees the licence fee for the 10-year duration of its Royal Charter.
He also said that, on public service broadcasting generally the Conservatives say very little apart from axing the cross media ownership rules to allow local newspapers to own other local media platforms, which could result in one company monopolising local news and reducing the diversity of opinion.
"I have said many times that BECTU does not slavishly support the Labour Party and lobbies hard when we disagree.
"But a critical look at what's on offer shows that overall, on the matters that affect our members' working lives, Labour is our closest ally," he concluded.
(BMcC/GK)