Task 5
BECTU
BECTU (Broadcasting
Entertainment Cinematograph Theatre Union) are an organisation that is the
independent trade union for those working in broadcasting, film, theatre,
entertainment, leisure, interactive and media allied areas.
Their aims are to:
§
Protect jobs-stopping
technology taking over peoples jobs. UK Radio, a lot of the BBC operates in
Manchester.
§
Increase membership with
BECTU- the more members they have got, the stronger they are as a team.
§
Win new recognition
agreements- working with employers to recognise them as representatives of
their workers.
§
Improve pay and conditions of
service, including pensions- how they get paid, their working conditions.
Freelancers don’t get a pension; they have to do it themselves. The Union is
working to try and get pension payments because they are not employees.
Day Rates
The union industry has come
up with a new payment method called day rates. This ensures that there is no
need to debate between employer and employee, the rate of payment has already
been concluded. This cannot be changed and is a fixed payment for the job. This
ensures that there are no complications, underpayments and misunderstandings.
There is an agreed payment rate for different types of work. Members also have
a legal representation.
Health and Safety
BECTU also ensure that there
is health and safety for their workers in the workplace. Especially in the
media, there are many hazards and dangers for employees working with the
equipment. The union’s health and safety system ensures that workers are safe
in the area that they work in and are not damaged by the hazards that they are
constantly surrounded by in the media environment.
Trade Unions
The whole idea of a union is
to unite different types of workers into groups. There are teachers unions, nurses
and Doctors union and theirs BECTU. Each union represents a large number of
individuals working in similar job roles that need representing over their
bosses. Some trade unions are professional bodies that are just promoting the
cause of that industry.
Freelance at BECTU
BECTU take their memberships
very seriously. There is a UK Law that states the right of all workers.
Whatever the contractual status, the worker can belong to a trade union of
their choice.
Members belong to branches.
There are determined on where the member lives. Each region has their own
office. Even though each area has their own branch, this doesn’t mean that the
group with the least members is weaker because all offices are working together
as part of the union.
BECTU has created a new
regulation that states that they should promote the collective interests of
freelancers. This means that freelancers should be hired in the production of
programmes. They have so far begun to represent freelancers on a collective
basis at the BBC's Natural History Unit, BBC Scotland, BBC Resources, The Bill
and EastEnders.
When you talk about the role of Unions, make sure you clarify your explanation. Unions act as representatives for workers, and engage in what is known as "collective bargaining." This means that the union will have more power if they represent lots of employees and get better conditions for their workers, rather than if the employees negotiated individually with the employer.
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