The Stage

New pay offer may prevent theatre technician strike

Published Tuesday 23 June 2009 at 15:20 by Alistair Smith

The threat of a nationwide strike by theatre technicians appears to have been averted, after Bectu agreed to ballot its members on a revised pay offer from the Theatrical Management Association.

If accepted, the offer would see staff in regional theatres receive a 2% pay rise.

The offer, which also includes an extra 1% rise from October, is significantly less than the 5% increase to minimums the union had originally requested, but is also an improvement on the proposed pay freeze which had been put forward by management at the beginning of negotiations.

Following management’s initial offer, talks had broken down, with Bectu supervisory official Willy Donaghy writing to members to ask whether they were “willing to engage in a campaign of industrial action, up to and including strike action, to achieve an acceptable pay increase”.

TMA’s improved offer, which will see the 2% offer backdated to April, is understood to also include a number of changes to working conditions, including overtime pay and minimum hours. A result from the ballot, when theatre staff will decide whether to accept or reject the offer, is expected on July 10.