Medas faces union threat over wages
Media Accounting Services, the company that provides accounting and related services to the BBC, has been hit by a dispute over the wages of finance staff.
BECTU, the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union, is understood to be balloting members this week over possible industrial action at the company, which took over the employment of 400 BBC finance staff in 1998.
A source at the BBC told Accountancy Age.com that the dispute concerned BBC staff who transferred over to Medas, but are still being covered by BECTU, to which around one in ten of the 400 belong.
The impasse is understood to focus on plans by Medas to change its pay structure to include market rates and salary banding, among other things. BECTU wants a simple percentage increase for its members.
In a statement, Medas confirmed that it was currently developing a new pay strategy for its staff as part of its strategy to ‘modernise its working practices’.
It added: ‘BECTU has raised some concerns over the changes from the current pay strategy of flat rate increases.’
BECTU’s offices indicated that the results of the voting ballot would be known on 18 September. No union officials, however, were available for comment as they are currently attending the Trade Union Congress in Brighton.
The BBC told AccountancyAge.co, it was an issue for ‘Medas’ and declined to comment.
Medas was formed in 1997 as a joint venture between Big Five firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and global IT services company EDS to primarily provide financial transaction processing, systems support and assistance in the implementation of SAP at the BBC.
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