BECTU threatens action over NT plans to dilute union input

BECTU is at loggerheads with the National Theatre over the venue’s proposals to “water down” its relationship with the backstage union.

NT officials have written to BECTU saying they want to reduce the terms of the union’s bargaining agreement, limiting the scope of its collective bargaining on pay, annual leave, hours, health and safety and training.

However, BECTU has responded by threatening to take industrial action. It has held a vote of union members at the NT, who have voted in favour of an industrial action ballot, and BECTU has told management that it will proceed along these lines unless the NT changes its position.

BECTU general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: “The NT’s handling of this issue has been poor, and we regret to say that we believe the chief executive [executive director Nick Starr] is being badly advised. Helped by the commitment and skill of our members, the National’s creative reputation is at an all-time high, and yet the company has chosen to chart a collision course with BECTU.

“To explain its position, management says that it spends too much time on the relationship. For our part, our experience is that management would prefer not to have its proposals scrutinised. As a leading creative body in receipt of substantial public funds, the National has a duty to confer and negotiate fully with the recognised unions, and we want to see that position restored for all staff covered by our agreement.”

BECTU and its predecessor unions have had a recognition agreement with the NT since its formation in 1963. The union is recognised to represent all non-performance staff, both backstage and front of house, although most of these staff at the NT are not BECTU members.

Starr said he was keen to keep the channels of communication open between the NT and BECTU, and added: “We believe that change in the relationship is necessary, and we sat down with BECTU last week and told them that.

“The reason for that is we feel that the negotiation relationship has become too slow and cumbersome, and therefore we feel that the really key issues we need to be talking about are not being sufficiently prioritised – and we think that is something we should improve for the benefit of both management and staff members.”