More than 90 per cent of union members voted in favour of industrial action in a ballot last month resulting in a series of strike dates being named, the first of which would fall on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
But following talks with BBC management and members today, the unions have announced that next week's strikes have been cancelled to allow another ballot to take place. The move follows new proposals from the BBC which the unions say came forward in the last 24 hours.
"We believe in the last 24 hours there have been significant improvements to what is on offer and that therefore we think our members deserve to have a say and we will be balloting them over the offer,” NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear told Journalism.co.uk.
The decision by the unions to strike during the Conservative Party conference caused controversy this week. Senior BBC journalists including Jeremy Paxman and Nick Robinson reportedly wrote to the NUJ to voice their concerns over the impact on the broadcaster's impartiality of striking during the conference after covering both the Liberal Democrat and Labour conferences.
Labour Party leader Ed Miliband added his voice to the concerns today, urging BBC staff not to strike.
"Whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute between (broadcasting union) BECTU and the BBC, they should not be blacking out the Prime Minister's speech," he said according to national reports.
''My speech was seen and heard on the BBC and in the interests of impartiality and fairness, so the Prime Minister's should be.''
BECTU responded in a release saying it was disappointed with his comments.
"As a Labour Party affiliate, BECTU places on record its dissatisfaction with Ed Miliband’s statement today. The Leader’s intervention is not helpful and is dismissive of our actions as a responsible trade union which has been negotiating with the employer on this issue for three long months."
The second set of planned strikes on 19 and 20 October remain on the table, which would clash with George Osbourne's spending review announcement. These dates will be reviewed following further talks but the NUJ says it has the authority to name further dates if necessary.
According to the unions the new proposals also include “important new measures to provide staff facing compulsory redundancy with time to identify alternative employment in the BBC".
"Given the outrage the BBC’s pensions proposals have caused, which staff have consistently viewed as a pensions robbery, we’re obviously pleased that the BBC have seen fit to table an improved offer, rather than face strike action,” said Dear in a realease.
"Clearly, the determination of staff at the BBC to fight to defend their pensions has forced a rethink on the part of the BBC’s management.
"Though we still have a number of reservations about the new offer, we remain committed to clarifying the BBC’s proposals through negotiation over the next couple of weeks and are hopeful that an acceptable offer, protecting benefits already accrued and not limiting future pensions accrual through the imposition of a punitive cap can be agreed."
Gerry Morrissey, general secretary at BECTU added that the new proposals are "the best that can be achieved without industrial action".
The unions say they will now be seeking further clarification from the BBC on some of the terms of the new proposals and will then organise ballots for members.
According to a release from the staff unions, the new proposals from the BBC include:
- The reduction of employee contributions in CAB 2011 ( the proposed new career average pension scheme) from 7 per cent to 6 per cent.
- The lower of CPI and 4 per cent for pensions in payment in CAB 2011.
- The lower of CPI and 4 per cent for revaluation in CAB 2011.
- In periods of high inflation and subject to affordability and the Scheme's investments performing in line with expectations, joint discretion between the BBC and the Trustees to award a higher percentage for revaluation purposes, with an arbitration process (details to be confirmed) in the event agreement cannot be reached.
- An AVC matching facility in the new DC scheme for non-pensionable overtime and UPA allowances, subject to a maximum amount to be determined following further analysis of cost which will be subject to a maximum of £5 million per annum.
- A commitment to revisit elements of the pension reform proposals in the event the pension deficit in the April 2010 valuation (to be finalised and communicated no later than 30 June 2011) falls and stays below £1 billion (before pension reform changes are factored in).
Image by Jem on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
Update: Monday 4 October
The BBC has since responded to Journalism.co.uk with a copy of an email sent from director-general Mark Thompson to staff on Friday. In it he says the adjustments to the proposals should be taken as a "final position" from the broadcaster.
"They still deliver the overwhelming majority of the financial effect we knew we needed to achieve in dealing with the deficit and containing future pension costs and risks, so that we could continue to offer affordable pensions.
"But I believe that they are also reasonable and equitable from the point of view of staff. They are offered, and should be considered as a package. We cannot and will not make any adjustments to them which would involve further cost or any loss of future affordability."
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
