ITN talks and talks and more talks

Dan Wright, Paul Carter and Graham Heslop at Acas on 5/6th June. Fifteen hours of negotiations culminates in a deal which will be put to members on Tuesday. Part of madly busy week which included four post midnight finishes, sadly all due to work.

To see photos from the day/night click here


http://picasaweb.google.com/nujlaura/ITNNegotiationsAtACAS

The art of negotiation

Our rep at ITN, Dan Wright, speaks during an adjournment at talks held today. The clip was recorded during a rare moment of optimism, sadly the mood changed as talks dragged on till eight pm with no sign, as yet, of real progress. Question; what is the definition of negotiation? is it a) when one side gets 100% of what they want and the other side get zero, b) when nobody gets what they want or c) when both sides accept that neither will get 100% of what they want and that in order to reach an agreement both sides will have to give?

mad or brave

Talks continued at ITN over their plans to drastically cut back on their taxi bill as mentioned previously. Although there are other unpleasant parts of their plans taxis represents the biggest issue, both for the company and members. At well attended members meeting recently, the Union negotiating group had one or two don't-shoot-the-messenger moments for pointing what the management proposals were. We have asked for the company's final written proposals so that we can consult with members, however, as they have failed to address the main stumbling block for staff, an early deal looks unlikely.

talking heads

Time spent today at the BBC talking about their approach to the upcoming Public Service Broadcasting Review, then to Ofcom to bang my head against a brick wall for a bit. They told us how everything will be run in the consumers best interest once all the public assets have been sold. Nearly thirty years on from Thatcher and her privatisation scams, this Government will auction off one of the last few pieces of silverware, the public spectrum - which we currently own - and sell it to the highest bidder who will then sell it back to us in bite sized and considerably inflated chunks. Result.


Finally I attended the George Viner memorial fund event this evening at the NUJ's head office. The charity funds bursaries and grants for aspiring Journalists from an ethnic background. The guest speaker was Samira Ahmed from Channel Four news.

meddlers beware

Talks at ITN today were cancelled at the last minute. It appears they aren't ready to discuss proposals that they first floated several months ago. The plans involved changes to working practices and policies with a view to saving money; we are told they aren't considered competitive - this despite the fact that they have been winning new business when others are shedding jobs like a lizards skin. It remains to be seen what happens with the talks but - he who meddles with the cab allowance must be brave or mad.

A bird in the hand

Yesterday was busy. A personal case in the morning, followed by a members meeting at ITN. There is an annual ritual at ITN that involves the company proposing horrible things just before Christmas, usually ensuring an anxious time for members with honours even at the end. This time there was a twist; yes deadly things are planned - working all the weekends, abolishing the meal allowance for staff on the road, you know the sort of thing. What was unusual was that they offered a two year deal. Year one - pay rise for all of 4.3%. Year two, inflation, providing the Unions enter talks over said horrible nasties, thereby postponing any potential conflict till April of next year. In the scheme of things, grief tomorrow is generally better than pain today. The members voted to accept. This was followed by negotiations with the NUJ over our staff pension. Talks continue, happy Christmas.

ITN - ITV contract

Friday: time was it when a new contract at ITN meant new jobs. However, the latest deal with ITV has brought significant job cut proposals. We have been talking for a while but some jobs are still under threat. As a result of our negotiations the NUJ has no compulsory redundancy threat but technical grades are still at risk. The main issue going forward may be the technology. Will the reality live up to the sales pitch? If so it will be the first time.