Bectu secures pay agreement to help Birmingham Rep staff with cost of living

Bectu and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The Rep) have reached a pay settlement that will provide a significant uplift to the theatre’s lowest paid staff.

Bectu, which represents technical staff at the theatre, has approached culture sector employers across the Midlands to request one-off, unconsolidated payments to help lower paid workers with the cost-of-living crisis.

Following negotiations between Bectu and The Rep, the settlement moves lower paid staff onto the Real Living Wage increment from 1 October 2022, six months earlier than the 1 April 2023 pay anniversary.

Under the agreement, anyone on 37.5 hours per week will receive an increase of £37.50 per week and will be £975 better off over the next six months.

Bectu Midlands Negotiations Officer Mick Corfield said:

“This is a great deal for our members at The Rep and we are delighted to endorse the package, which will mean a worker on a 37.5 hour contract will be £975 better off before we reach the actual anniversary pay date in April.

“The Rep is not the only venue that we have approached during these difficult times to secure a fair settlement for our members. However, they have been the most proactive and receptive to our approach and we thank them for taking our suggestions on board and working with us constructively to secure a great deal for our members during these difficult times.

“This agreement shows what can be achieved when employers genuinely listen to their staff and work with unions to deliver fairness for all.”

Birmingham Rep Director of People and Operations Julia Layland said:

“The Rep recognises the cost pressures on everyone at the moment and have been considering various ways to provide support and ease pressure, including circulating a cost-of-living support document to staff, this included considering cost of living payments.

“Bectu approached us in July 2022 to ask us to consider a cost-of-living payment, and in line with our ethos of prioritising lowest paid staff we are delighted to have worked with them to agree an off-cycle pay award to these staff to recognise the living wage increment.

“These increases will take effect from October 2022 and we hope this goes some way to easing the cost of living pressures for some, however we still commit to our usual pay negotiations with Bectu for all levels of staff in the annual pay review in spring 2023.”