Granada pay offer rejected

All three unions involved in pay talks with Granada have condemned the company's 2% pay offer.
Representatives of Bectu, NUJ, and Amicus have told Granada's management that the offer is unacceptable because it falls short of this month's inflation figure.
However, a shares package, linked to the pay offer and worth up to £300 to each member of staff, has been accepted by union representatives.
In a letter from the unions, Granada has been given a deadline of November 14 to table an improved offer which, negotiators say, must include a "substantial increase to basic pay over the rate of inflation". The unions say they are willing to drop a demand for improvements in conditions of service, if an acceptable revised offer is made.
Negotiators are standing by a call for Granada to introduce a £13,500 minimum wage across the company, arguing that director's pay packages have soared, while lower paid employees have seen no significant improvement in their standard of living.
Unions are also challenging the company's view that any agreed increase should be withheld from staff with less than six months' service.
Representatives of the three unions are planning to meet after the November 14 deadline to discuss their next move.
Negotiators have warned that unless an improved offer is made by then, the birth of a new ITV company from the merger of Granada and Carlton could be clouded by bitterness and unrest among staff.
(GB)