For the record - Acas here we go

We are writing to clarify the position in relation to the ongoing talks with ITN management following this week's joint chapel meeting.
As previously stated the joint unions agreed to hold talks about proposed efficiencies that the company wanted to make. We did not agree to make savings of £300,000. On repeated occasions during the negotiations we have put forward constructive suggestions, therefore it is wrong to say we have not made any real progress towards reaching a deal with ITN. At our last meeting the counter proposal we put forward would have totalled around 85% of the savings the company wishes to make. This was rejected.
We agreed to put the current proposal before a joint meeting as requested by management. This meeting was held on Monday and the proposal was unanimously rejected.
It is not accurate to imply the process has been delayed by the unions. We have been suggesting to the company for some weeks now that all the parties should attend the conciliation service Acas to further these discussions and this was re-iterated following the joint meeting on Monday. We are now in the process of confirming a date for these talks.
In the meantime the company continues to indicate that failing to reach agreement would jeopardise the 2008 pay award which you have already received. We reject this and believe that in the event of a dispute the status quo which would be preserved is the current situation - not that which existed pre the 2008 pay award. We remain committed to protecting the RPI pay increase in 2009 agreed as part of the two year deal.
regards, Paul McLaughlin, NUJ Broadcasting Organiser Laura Davison, NUJ Assistant Broadcasting Organiser

Dan speaks

Talks at ITN dragged on till eight pm tonight. During an early adjournment Dan is in optimistic mood.

Thank You

Dear Colleagues,

Just a quick note to thank you for your emails to pay@itn.co.uk supporting the unions, and each other.
The company has indicated it is prepared to hold further talks with the Unions and we shall keep you informed as to how that goes.

If you need any further information, don't hesitate to contact us. For the latest information on the ITN Unions look at our blog site: http://itnnujbectu.blogspot.com/

Your Questions Answered?

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday evening (Friday) ITN announced "drop in sessions" next week where you will be able to put your questions about the Pay Deal in 2008/9. Listed below are questions, some of which we have tried to get answers to, that you might want to ask:

* An RPI increase in pay is a cost of living increase, in addition to tax on the taxi journeys, everything else I pay for will cost more. Why is a cost of living increase being presented as a real terms pay rise?
* The examples you give on the intranet suggest that I will pay tax on taxi journeys, and be financially better off -- will this be true in my particular case?
* Last year more than two dozen staff were made redundant, we have also begun to be charged for personal calls on work mobiles and year-on-year we have been asked to make various savings. Why are even more savings necessary now to run the business?
* Why is it necessary to cut the recovery time for working overnight by a day?
* Why is it necessary for me to make myself available to work more weekends?
* Why is it fair that when the company asks me to work "on the road", often to remote and out of the way places, I should not be allowed to claim my first meal?
* Why is night allowance paid to staff who work in the office, but not to staff "on the road" -- often in dangerous and remote places?
* How many "ITN days" will I be able to work -- and what will I earn for them?
* What other non-staff savings did the company try to make before asking us for savings?

During the sessions you will no doubt be told that in December the Unions agreed to make savings of £300,00 as part of a two year deal. This is not the case, we agreed to enter discussions about savings in December as part of a two year deal (which is what we are trying to do now) and never agreed the amount. If anyone is interested, I can provide the documents that prove it.

For all the latest information visit the ITN Unions blog site: http://itnnujbectu.blogspot.com/

PAY 2008/2009: SEND YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY

Today is the deadline for emailing your feedback on the pay proposals.
If you have not sent an email yet, we urge you to do so now!
Click the link below to send your message. Urge your colleagues in the office to do the same.

http://www.nujcampaigns.org.uk/cgi-bin/show_campaign.cgi?c=3
Last week the company wrote to you to ask for your feedback on proposals for pay, terms and conditions in 2009. They said they negotiations with the Unions had been exhausted wanted you to email them with your views by today .
The NUJ and BECTU believe the proposals will leave significant numbers of staff out of pocket, and will damage terms and conditions on overnight working, meal claims and weekend working.

If you have yet to send an email giving your feedback, we urge you to do so now. Tell the company the current proposal is unacceptable and ask them to restart talks with the Unions -- so that we can try and negotiate something better. We have set up a campaign website to help you respond and send an instant email here:

http://www.nujcampaigns.org.uk/cgi-bin/show_campaign.cgi?c=3

Click on the link, fill in the form and your message will be sent automatically to pay@itn.co.uk and the Chief Executive Mr Mark Wood.

We have also set up a blog website to keep you updated on the campaign, you can view it here:
http://itnnujbectu.blogspot.com/


Make your voice heard, let the company know what you think, stand up for yourself and your colleagues -- click the link and send a message by Friday.

TWO DAYS TO GO TILL FEEDBACK FRIDAY

If you have not sent an email to your managers yet, we urge you to do so now!
Click the link below to send your message. Urge your colleagues in the office to do the same.

http://www.nujcampaigns.org.uk/cgi-bin/show_campaign.cgi?c=3

Last week the company wrote to you to ask for your feedback on proposals for pay, terms and conditions in 2009. They said they negotiations with the Unions had been exhausted wanted you to email them by this Friday with your views.

The NUJ and BECTU believe the proposals will leave significant numbers of staff out of pocket, and will damage terms and conditions on overnight working, meal claims and weekend working.

If you have yet to send an email giving your feedback, we urge you to do so now. Tell the company the current proposal is unacceptable and ask them to restart talks with the Unions -- so that we can try and negotiate something better. We have set up a campaign website to help you respond and send an instant email here:

http://www.nujcampaigns.org.uk/cgi-bin/show_campaign.cgi?c=3

Click on the link, fill in the form and your message will be sent automatically to pay@itn.co.uk and the Chief Executive Mr Mark Wood.

Make your voice heard, let the company know what you think, stand up for yourself and your colleagues -- click the link and send a message by Friday.

Staff feedback

ITN management is asking for staff feedback concerning drastic cuts to terms and conditions of members. The Unions have been negotiating over the changes however, management have failed to listen to staff concerns as expressed by the Unions. The company is now threatening to take away the increase staff received for 2008 and is also threatening to withhold a planned increase for 2009. Members have been clear that current planes are unacceptable. We are asking management to think again, before it's too late.