Thompson Offers to Meet with Unions (BBC)

[struggle4progress]

LONDON, June 3: With a possible strike looming, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson has written to union officials offering to meet to clarify the offer made to them regarding redundancies and privatization and to discuss other concerns.

"We have a shared interest in resolving the dispute promptly and working together to build a strong and independent BBC," said Thompson in a letter to leaders of the NUJ, BECTU and Amicus. "I believe that this offer represents a significant movement by the BBC to meet the concerns you have raised with us about the change program," he says.

The offer to the unions puts a freeze on compulsory redundancies until July 1, 2006; promises a review in two years and puts a stop on the sale of BBC Resources until June 1, 2007.

"Unfortunately, we simply do not have any further movement to make on the offer we tabled at ACAS and to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous. Although we want to minimize compulsory redundancies as far as possible, the BBC cannot give a blanket commitment to no compulsory redundancies given the sale and scope of the divisional change plans. No organization could." <snip>

http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=bbc603.htm