BECTU and US counterpart set to forge closer links

Plans are being laid for closer working between BECTU and their American counterpart, the BECTU annual conference has been told.
BECTU responded following an invitation from the President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) to establish joint committees of the two unions.
Tom Short, IATSE's International President, made the suggestion from the rostrum of BECTU's Annual Conference, which he attended as guest of honour.
A further meeting of BECTU's new National Exectutive "enthusiastically" endorsed the proposal, and IATSE has now formally been invited to engage in talks about a framework which could link UK and US workers in the film, broadcasting, and theatre industries.
The two unions cover almost identical areas of the entertainment sector, and have already built a close working relationship as members of Union Network International (UNI) - the international union organisation which has a section dedicated to the media and entertainment industries.
Mr Short's address to the BECTU conference concentrated on the need for cross-border unity between unions in an industry that was increasingly dominated by multi-national companies.
Among the many issues that the two unions hope to deal with jointly are the reciprocal arrangements for members working in each other's countries, exchange of bargaining information about major employers, and more harmonised standards for training and health and safety.
BECTU, www.bectu.org
(GMcG)