The BBC is still facing the threat of industrial action over plans to outsource some of its HR services to Capita in a £130m deal.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Capita had finalised the details and put pen to paper on the BBC People outsourcing deal, which was agreed last month.
But Luke Crawley, lead BBC negotiator at broadcast union Bectu, told Personneltoday.com that difficulties still remain over the terms and conditions of the 260 BBC People staff who are due to transfer to Capita on 1 April.
The main issue centres on Capita’s refusal to guarantee that staff who do not wish to transfer to its office in Belfast will be re-deployed on a BBC contract.
Bectu is also concerned that Capita wants to introduce changes in areas such as recruitment, grievance procedures and performance management, Crawley said.
Bectu is balloting its members on two questions:
- Do you agree with being outsourced?
- What do you think of the offer?
“I haven’t met anybody in the union or otherwise who wants to be outsourced and fully expect members to reject the terms and conditions of the offer,” Crawley said.
The ballot closes on Friday and industrial action is still being considered.
In unrelated news, Capita executive chairman Rod Aldridge resigned today following the revelations that he had given a £1m personal loan to the Labour Party.
“At present, the group’s reputation is being questioned because of my personal decision to lend money to the Labour Party. As I have made clear, this was entirely my own decision as an individual, made in good faith as a long-standing supporter of the party,” he said.
“There have been suggestions that this loan has resulted in the group being awarded government contracts. This is entirely spurious,” Aldridge added.
