NUJ votes to accept Acas agreement but union will review position when the actual scale of the pension deficit is revealed in the spring.

The BBC pensions dispute came to an end today (7/12/2010) after the National Union of Journalists accepted last week's Acas agreement – but warned of the possibility of further strike action next year.

NUJ representatives today voted to accept the agreement that will see pension contributions uprated by 4% a year – less if the inflation rate is lower – for the next six years.

But the union said it would review its position when the actual scale of the pensions deficit is revealed in spring next year, with new talks in the event that it is less than £1.5bn.

The NUJ general secretary, Jeremy Dear, said: "In light of the significant concessions the BBC has made in recent negotiations, including agreeing to delay the implementation of any changes until after the full scheme valuation is agreed and the real size of the deficit is known, reps have today endorsed the agreement reached at Acas.

"Reps will review the position once the actual deficit is published – and further action cannot be ruled out in the event that the deficit is lower than predicted."

The NUJ motion passed today said it would have been "much, much better" to wait until full details of the deficit were known before discussing a long-term solution.

The union expressed its "ongoing disgust with the BBC's plans to circumvent and undermine the role of the [pension] trustees and treat with contempt the protections afforded to scheme members under the current scheme rules".

It brings to an end a five-month industrial dispute that saw the BBC's news programmes and services severely disrupted in a 48-hour stoppage early last month.

In an email to staff, the BBC People director Lucy Adams said she was "glad to say" the NUJ had endorsed the agreement.

BBC management and the broadcasting unions took the dispute to Acas after talks failed to resolve outstanding issues.

Under revised pension proposals put forward in September, future payments into a new career-average benefit pension – "CAB 2011" – will increase annually by 4% or by the rate of inflation, depending on which is the lower figure. The NUJ has won a guarantee that those annual rises will be implemented automatically.

Four other unions that represent BBC staff, including Bectu, have already accepted the management's revised offer on pensions.

The NUJ called off another 48-hour stoppage four weeks ago after the BBC offered to hold further talks with all five unions to clarify key elements of the offer.



By:-  John Plunkett.

Source:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/07/bbc-pensions-dispute-ends