The Royal
Shakespeare Company in Stratford has reached a settlement with staff in a long
running dispute over redundancies.
Union
members voted by a narrow majority of 12 to accept proposals for new redundancy
terms which almost double the original offer.
However,
the dispute at the RSC at the Barbican in London over redundancies has yet to
be resolved.
The
RSC in Stratford agreed that there would be no redundancies before March 2002
and staff made redundant would be first in line to be offered any casual work
which would be pensionable.
It
was also agreed that there would be no further compulsory redundancies for five
years and that training opportunities would be made available to redundant
technical staff.
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At
least 10 jobs of the 56 in stage-related areas will go plus two in the box
office, three in the workshops and two in the paint shop.
Willy
Donaghy, theatres officer for broadcasting and theatres union Bectu, said,
"Only the threat of strike made the employer concede in this dispute and
Bectu will continue to campaign to minimise the numbers made redundant.
Outstanding differences remain between Bectu members and the employer at the
RSC Barbican and strike action is likely unless the employer is willing to make
concessions."
