Sandwiched

Somewhere behind closed doors (is there a Vic Feather suite ?) in Broadcasting House, they're easing in to their seats for an uncomfortable BBC management/unions pay discussion.

On the table is a "final" offer of £800 or 1%, whichever is higher, for all on grades 2-11. On £30k it works out at 2.7%, and apparently means at least 2% for 70 per cent of staff.  If you're lucky enough to be on more than £60k (quite possible at Band 11) it'll be the first official rise since 2009/10. But RPI stands at 3.1%, and, if you work in Broadcasting House, you can't park - so train and tube fares are likely to rise by at least 4%.

The background is worse than that. Management have been playing hard ball with flat rate increases since 2009 - £450, £475, £450, £400. Over those years inflation ran at 2.0%, 4.1%, 4.1% and 2.5%. At the same time as that tough there-is-no-dosh stance, senior management were apparently able to get a "beyond contractual" settlement to go without even asking - cf Roly Keating, now repaid.  Some deals made eye-watering reading in the recent NAO report - and there's a chance they'll uncover more next month. There's also a suspicion now that, if you were senior enough and got into trouble, you could "resign" and still get a BBC wheelbarrow.

The unions have a ballot result in their back pocket. Will it remain embargoed ?