A strike threat, by theatre technicians nationwide may have been narrowly avoided. Buctu has agreed it will ballot its members with details of the new pay deal offered by the Theatrical Management Association. Should the offer be accepted by Buctu’s members, it will mean a 2 percent increase in pay for regional theatre staff.
A one percent pay rise is offered from October, a figure substantially lower than the five percent increase that the theatre union had asked for. None the less, the increase is a marked improvement on the pay freeze that had been initially proposed by the management.
Buctu official Willy Donaghy previously wrote to Buctu’s members asking if they were:
“willing to engage in a campaign of industrial action, up to and including strike action, to achieve an acceptable pay increase”.
This was in response to the talks breaking down, and prior to the new pay offer.
The Theatre Management Association (TMA) will now have the 2% deal backdated to April, and it is believed that the association has also included changes to working conditions, not least around overtime pay and minimum working hours.
Buctu should have the results of the ballot is expected around the 10th of July 2009.
