BECTU wins recognition at Al Jazeera English

BECTU has won its campaign to secure union recognition with Al Jazeera English. The success of the initative, launched jointly with the NUJ, gives staff at Al Jazeera's English arm the right to have the unions bargain collectively with the employer on their behalf.

The Central Arbitration Committee made its declaration on the rights of BECTU and the NUJ to conduct collective bargaining for staff on Friday 6 December 2013. The recognition agreement, which unions and employer now have until 22 January 2014 to negotiate, will cover all staff below the rank of bureau chief/regional director at the employer's bases in London.

Automatic recognition was granted without a formal ballot after evidence of majority membership and support for union recognition. The formal application for recognition was submitted to the CAC on 25 October 2013 after months of work with Al Jazeera staff.

The unions' bid this summer to persuade the company to come to a voluntary agreement on recognition was not successful.

Commenting on the success of the campaign, Spencer MacDonald, supervisory official said:

"We congratulate our members at Al Jazeera English for holding firm in their bid to secure union rights with their employer; we look forward now to drawing up and finalising the agreement itself and to working with members and the employer in 2014 to bring the benefits of union recognition to the workplace."