BBC pay and conditions deal accepted

Production workers and journalists at the BBC have accepted a "landmark" deal over pay, terms and conditions.

Members of the Bectu union and the National Union of Journalists overwhelmingly backed the agreement in ballots.

The agreement includes a three-year pay deal, a new minimum salary of £20,000, increased sick pay and simplification of contractual arrangements.

Pay will increase by 2% in 2017/18, 2% in 2018/19 and 2.5% (or the licence fee settlement percentage if higher) in 2019/20.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: "There is still a lot of work to be done on terms and conditions, particularly on night working and on weekend working, which we plan to ensure will deliver further improvements to working patterns and conditions for NUJ members at the BBC, particularly those who routinely work unsocial hours.

"It's now time for the BBC's commitments to better working conditions and greater work-life balance to be put into action.

"The new pay structure still requires collective effort to make it work, but it is a structure that will provide greater transparency and assist in holding the BBC to account on pay parity now and in the future."

Bectu assistant national secretary Noel McClean said it was a landmark deal, adding: "There were some big and significant issues that needed to be addressed in this deal.

"Our members engaged with us on an unprecedented level to make sure that we were negotiating the best possible deal for them. Without that level of engagement we would not have been able to get this result."