BECTU MEMBERS REJECT SPIN-OFF OF B&P DEPARTMENT

BECTU members have rejected the proposed spin-off of the BBC's Broadcast and Presentation department.
In a ballot nearly 90 per cent of BECTU members in BBC Broadcast and Presentation (B&P) have rejected the principle of changing the department into a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Corporation.
B&P is the BBC department responsible for television programme playout, continuity and presentation.
The proposal to spin-off B&P has not been approved by the UK government Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
In the ballot 94 per cent of B&P members also accepted the offer from management on terms and conditions in the event of the company being formed.
The offer, arrived at following union negotiations with BBC management, includes: No change in B&P conditions of service for at least two years; Keeping B&P staff in the overall BBC bargaining system until 2004-5 and Current and future B&P staff remain in BBC Pension Scheme.
In previous cases of new subsidiaries being established, members in BBC Resources and BBC Technology have similarly maintained their resistance to being transferred into the new companies, whilst accepting the conditions packages negotiated by the union.
BBC management have justified their proposals by saying they want the freedom of limited company status to increase significantly the amount of commercial work in B&P.
The plan is that the proposed company could service commercial cable and satellite channels once it moves into purpose-built facilities at White City in two years time. (CD)