A brief respite from the BBC

Back from Brussels where I was at a meeting of the EFJ's Labour Rights Expert Group where we discussed union organising at Sky, lobbying in Europe over labour laws and a mapping project for the European new media industry.

I also had a useful meeting with IFJ General Secretary Aidan White.

Prior to that it has been BBC, BBC and a bit more BBC.

I've been in negotiations (more tomorrow), done member meetings across the UK, had reps meetings, done dozens of media interviews and tried to answer dozens of questions from members and reps about the BBC's latest offer.

The unions are now consulting members on the latest offer - all indications are it will be rejected and strike action will follow.

And in between it all we've had the National Executive Council, I was on a panel with BBC journalist Jonathon Charles, former ITV News head Clive Jones and media academic Nathalie Fenton talking about international journalism in the 21st century. Hope we didn't put too many students off!

Today we've also launched our new campaign to stop the exploitation of interns. Read all about it here.

Mark Byford to go...?

Rumours abound tonight that BBc Deputy Director General Mark Byford is to go. Mark is a friendly and likeable man but his alleged £400,000 p.a. pension, his decision to spend £5000 going to South Africa for the World Cup while the BBC was facing cuts and his poor response to the Hutton report when the BBc was facing a political crisis mean few union members will be sad about the news.

I understand they will not be replacing his post - good.

More massive votes against BBC pension proposals

Done three BBC pensions meetings with members at Television Centre and Millbank in the past three days - and there is a continuing overwhelming rejection of the BBC's pensions latest proposals. Not a single person has spoken up for accepting what is on the table. Back in to negotiations tomorrow with a clear set of demands from the meetings of members. There have also been unanimous or overwhelming votes for strike action at big meetings at White City, Monitoring and Bristol.

Busy preparing the strike materials - posters being printed, leaflets drafted and stickers on order.

Manchester (United)!

Back from the TUC Conference in Manchester tired but inspired - and it's not often you can say that. The inspired by TUC Conference bit, not the tired bit.

With the shackles of the "we can't do anything in case it damages the New Labour government" shackles thrown off a real fighting spirit emerged. Co-ordinated industrial action against cuts is firmly on the agenda. Major demonstrations and lobbies are planned. The defence of pensions is at the heart of the agenda. There is an alternative!

Of course at this stage it's words - and we need to turn it in to action but there felt a sense of purpose and determination across the unions on a whole range of issues.

The NUJ delegation did an excellent job. The TUC backed our condemnation of Johnston Press and their use of the anti-union laws, supported our photographer members facing the misuse of s44 stop and search powers, applauded our stand against the BBC's pensions robbery and welcomed the work we were doing with journalists unions in countries like Zimbabwe.

If it's war, we didn't start it...

There I was, 6.30am, heading to the BBC studios in Manchester to do an interview when i popped in to a newsagent to grab some juice. BBC UNIONS' WAR ON TORIES screamed the front page of the Daily Mail.

Apparently, the decision of BBC workers to strike over the Corporation's pensions robbery, is a declaration of war on one part of the Government.

Press Gazette have helpfully run my entire speech to the TUC Conference later that day in response.

The planned strike dates - 5 and 6 October and 19 and 20 October have received widespread coverage and there is a clear attempt in some of the more hostile sections of the media to blame the victims of the BBC's pensions robbery rather than the thieves.

93.4% of NUJ members voted for strike action. More than 90% of members of the 3 unions - NUJ, Bectu and Unite - did so. There is a clear mandate for action - and there is a determination to protect pensions. Many people have saved for years in the expectation that they would receive £x on retirement. It was a promise. Now that promise is being broken.

The BBC took a partial contributions holiday over 13 years - put that money back in. Cap pensions so no-one walks away with a six-figure annual pension. Use a small portion of the profits from BBC Worldwide each year. Some or all of these can help to ensure the pension scheme is sustainable over the long term.

No-one wants to stop coverage of the Comprehensive Spending Review. No-one (well, most) don't want to go on strike. But they will to stop the unacceptable, unfair and unnecessary pension changes.

Lucky 13?

The blog has risen one place in this year's Tigmoo guide to the top union blogs - it now stands at number 13. Note to self - must do better.

It's been the first day in weeks I've not had to spend most of it dealing with the BBC pensions dispute so instead I've spent it dealing with the NUJ pension scheme and attending our Finance Committee. Good decision to back Ken Capstick's legal action against the NUM over his unfair dismissal. Good to see too that we've won over £350,000 for members in the last few weeks. It clearly pays to be union.

Finance Committee also had a long discussion about rule changes to enable our Group Chapels (groups of workplace reps all owned by the same parent company) a greater role in the democracy of the union. These are the industrial activists of the union and we need their voice at our conference and at all levels of the union. No-one disagrees with that, the big debate was over voting systems. Do we say you can only vote by a show of hands at a physical meeting or do we enable active participation through Skype, text voting, video conferencing or any other form of voting. The traditionalists held sway. I think it may be another matter at the Executive next month.

Having to delay my departure to TUC conference because of the BBC dispute. Meeting with BBC followed by emergency reps meeting on Monday. Deal or no deal? All will be revealed on Monday....

Shhhh..it's confidential

Negotiations, emergency reps meetings, more negotiations - the BBC pensions dispute has become all-consuming but since everything is confidential it makes for boring blogging!

In the minutes between BBC meetings I spoke at NUS media conference, spoke at a TUC round-table on civil liberties and attended the union's Development Committee - oh, and passed my driving theory test (50 out of 50 since you ask...).

Now, back to BBC negotiations....

93.4% say Yes to strike action...

Here it is...the massive vote for strike action.
The ballots across the 3 unions averaged around 90%. In the NUJ the vote was 94% in favour of strike action and 97% for action short of a strike.

Next week's negotiations should be a lot more constructive!

'Nuff said...

Massive vote for action expected in BBC ballot today

After the weeks of touring the UK doing meetings union reps from the NUJ, Bectu and Unite will today get the result of the ballots for strike action over pensions.

We expect to make an announcement between 3.30pm and 4pm today after our reps have had a chance to consider a report back on the latest talks with BBC management and what we expect to be a massive vote in favour of action...more later.