New London Ops proposals

New proposals have been made in an attempt to resolve elements of the current London Operations dispute.

Proposals have been tabled concerning ERR (short term acting) as a basis for resolving this aspect of the dispute. These have been made following previous talks with management on ERR breaking down in early June.

Additionally proposals have been made covering the working time, travel time and travel costs aspects of the dispute. These have been offered on condition that they resolve these elements of the dispute and that the conditions of service and expenses policy are accepted throughout Resources Limited.

Your Representatives have not met with management yet to discuss these proposals.

Members should provide feedback on the proposals detailed below as soon as possible, giving an indication of their acceptability along with any amendments that may need to be applied. Please note management have requested the union provides an initial response by 16 July 2001.

In the meantime industrial action across London Operations continues.

ERR

Management have proposed that in addition to the previously tabled promotions that they are prepared to consolidate 50% of ERR earned in the financial year 2000-2001 on "condition that the ERR dispute is resolved and staff accept the need for some sort of short term acting" (quote from management proposal). It is proposed to consolidate the ERR payments after the promotions take place.

It is proposed to pay this as an average per category, or on a 50% actuality basis to those staff who received ERR last year, or as an average of the total staff across all categories shown below - either way the overall figure would be the same.

The table below shows the numbers of staff who received ERR in 2000-2001, the amounts of ERR earned per category, along with the proposed consolidated 50% figure.

Category	Numbers receiving ERR	Total ERR	50% average per category
Post Production
Assistants	32	£20839	£126
Sound	8	£797	£34
Section Assistants	9	£479	£6
Studios
Vision Mixers	3	£971	£41
Studio Engineers	18	£3621	£85
Cameramen	17	£2715	£47
LVCs	11	£8042	£237
Scenic Ops	3	£19	£0.40
Sound	27	£18780	£276
Technical Services
Engineers	11	£3654	£73
Stores	3	£1747	£73
Outside Broadcasts
Riggers	7	£1614	£74
Mechanical Workshops	3	£374	£17
Comms Engineers	1	£492	£21
Cameramen	8	£74	£2
VT Engineers	2	£377	£15
Vision Engineers	3	£541	£13
Sound	7	£1676	£47

Management have said they believe as the proposed promotions "will significantly reduce the need for short term acting, an offer to consolidate 50% of previous ERR is reasonable".

Working time

This aspect covers the dispute over management's withdrawal from working time ("10's and 12's") agreements earlier this year. These agreements included voluntarism for working more than 12 hours or less 10 hour breaks, along with payments for infringements.

Management have that "while we do not feel able to move on the requirement for up to 13 hour working, we accept that prolonged long day working is not beneficial to the individual or the business".

Management have therefore proposed that under circumstances staff can refuse to work more than six consecutive days.

Section 6b of the disputed London Operation terms and conditions document (version 4.3) reads:

There will be at least 11 hours break between turns of duty. Exceptionally, where this cannot be scheduled because staff are required for continuity of service provision,

1. Staff will have the right to refuse the infringed break.
2. compensatory rest (as distinct from compensatory leave) will be given equivalent to the shortfall, within two weeks.
3. Staff will also have the right to refuse a duty longer than 13 hours

It is proposed to reword paragraph iii as follows:

Staff will also have the right to refuse individual duties of more than 13 hours or turns of duty of more than six consecutive days, except where these form part of a single programme production.

Travel time

Management are proposing a phased introduction of the travel formula whereby the home to base travel time would be capped at 105 hours until 31 March 2002. For 1 April 2002 until 31 March 2003 home to base travel time would be capped at 2 hours. Beyond 31 March 2003 actual home to base mileage would be used in travel time calculations.

Travel costs

On condition that the dispute is resolved over the travel cost formula as outlined in the London Operations terms and conditions document it is proposed to increase Resources Limited mileage rates in line with the rest of the BBC with immediate effect.