Joint review body to negotiate printing partnership agreement

The GPMU print union is working with the industry employers (BPIF) to negotiate a new partnership agreement for the industry.

A Joint Review Body has been set up under the Partnership at Work initiative, backed by £250,000 government funding which will be matched by contributions by the industry.

Chris Harding, GPMU national officer, said: "This was a very real opportunity to address constructively the issue of the work-life balance and the future culture of workplace relationships."

Advisory and conciliation service ACAS will be represented on the Review Body and the project is expected to conclude with a joint national launch conference in January 2005.

Research is to be commissioned among employers and employees about what they want from the national agreement, highlighting best practice. Three companies have agreed to act as partnership case studies - Pindar Set, TJ International and Bemrose Booth.

Stephen Clark, Chair of the BPIF Employers Panel predicted some "hard talking" as the review body met for the first time, at the end of last year on 9 December.

However, he was confident that the discussions would produce "a workable solution that will bring long-lasting benefits to employers and employees alike".