ITV production workers and other staff have voted to strike in protest of the commercial broadcaster’s “miserly” 2% pay rise offer, broadcasting union Bectu has said.
Following a 67% majority vote, ITV workers will strike for 24 hours on 14 May; however, a spokesperson for ITV has said that programming will not be affected as a result.
“We are fully prepared to maintain an open dialogue with union representatives following the ballot result today, which has seen 232 union members voting to strike out of a UK workforce of 3,000 employees,” an ITV spokesperson said.
“We have contingency plans in place to ensure that our programmes will continue to be broadcast and are confident that viewers will be unaffected by the proposed industrial action on May 14.”
The spokesperson added that the 2% pay increase was above inflation, as well as being on top of the 11.5% of pay rises over the last four years – “some way ahead of other media sector pay awards.”
ITV also claims to be the only UK broadcaster to pay the living wage.
Bectu general secretary Gerry Morrissey said that there is a huge disparity between the pay offered to staff and the bonus package to executives as well as shareholder dividends.
“Our members are helping to make the profits but are not sharing in them,” he said.
ITV reported strong financial results for 2014, delivering revenue growth across all parts of the business.
Total ITV revenue increased 7% in 2014 to £2,956 million – marking the company’s fifth consecutive year of double digit profit growth – while advertising revenue saw a healthy 6% boost to £1,629 million.
The broadcaster expects continued growth through 2015.
