Jargon Buster

ABS
Association of Broadcasting Staff, the organisation which represented BBC staff prior to its merger with NATTKE to form BETA.
ABTT
Association of British Theatre Technicians
ACE
Arts Council of England.
ACTT
Association of Cinema and Television Technicians, which merged with BETA in 1990 to form BECTU.
A & E
Arts and Entertainment Division
ATG
Ambassadors Theatre Group
BBC
British Broadcasting Corporation
BECTU
The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (from 1 January 2017).
BETA
Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance, which merged with the ACTT in 1990 to form BECTU.
BFI
British Film Institute
BIS
Department for Business Innovation and Skills (government department responsible for driving the economy forward by promoting business, enterprise and education).
BME
Black and minority ethnic
BMSC
The group which promotes the interests of BME members inside the union and which devised the Move on Up diversity programme.
BNP
British National Party
BSC
British Society of Cinematographers
BWTUC
Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council.
CEA
Cinema Exhibitors Association
collective bargaining
The process by which the union negotiates on issues affecting groups of members; for collective bargaining rights to exist the union needs to be recognised by the employer to carry out this function.
CPD
CPD stands for Continuous Professional Development. This is the term used to describe ongoing job and career-related training during the course of your professional life. It can also describe wider forms of learning not associated with a job but which will boost career development of some kind.
Unions tend to define CPD more widely than employers.
Crewbus
Directory of freelance members of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union
CSG
Culture Sport Glasgow operates more than 70 venues on behalf of Glasgow City Council.
DAS
Deductions at Source - method by which union members pay their subscriptions through the payroll. BECTU has such arrangements in place with many employers.
DCMS
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DFG
Documentary Filmmakers Group
ENO
The English National Opera.
ERS
Electoral Reform Services, independent scrutineers for statutory ballots or ballots conducted in accordance with union rules.
FAA
Film Artistes Association, a sub-division of BECTU which looks after the interests of background artistes.
FEU
The Federation of Entertainment Unions, an umbrella grouping of the seven trade unions operating in the cultural sectors.
FSF
Film Skills Fund, the industry group administered by Skillset, to disburse funds for training.
FT2
Film and Television Training, the much respected training organisation which provides structured, craft specific and long-form training for new entrants.
FTC
A fixed term contract is a short-term employee engagement.
GBCT
Guild of British Camera Technicians
GBFTE
Guild of British Film and Television Editors
GFTU
General Federation of Trade Unions, a national organisation, focussed on reps training, to which BECTU is affiliated.
HMRC
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
IB
Independent Broadcasting
IFNC
Independently Financed News Consortia, a framework being developed by industry regulator, OFCOM, and the government to sustain commercial news production in the UK's nations and regions.
IP
Intellectual property
JCI
Johnson Controls International, facilities management contractor responsible for the operation of BBC buildings in London and Scotland.
JIGS
Joint Industry Grading Scheme, responsible for the grading of special effects technicians, stunt performers and co-ordinators and riggers and scaffolders.
Learning Outcomes
These are what you should learn by the end of a course or workshop. They should be listed as part of the course description so you can be clear about whether the course is t=right for you.
Lorimer letter
Schedule D status granted to specific individuals who would otherwise be treated as employees. As a result they are entitled to be paid gross.
LPD
London Production Division
NATTKE
The National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees merged with the ABS to form BETA. NATTKE traces its history back to 1890.
NCA
National Campaign for the Arts
NEC
National Executive Committee
NFTS
National Film and Television School
NT
The Royal National Theatre.
OFT
Office of Fair Trading
PAYE
Pay As You Earn - established system for the payment of tax through an employer's payroll.
PRP
Performance related pay
RIG
The Radio Independents Group, an alliance of independent producers serving the radio sector.
ROH
The Royal Opera House, home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies.
RPD
Regional Production Division
RSC
The Royal Shakespeare Company.
SEC
Sector Executive Committee (replaces NEC as a result of BECTU's merger with Prospect).
SFS
Special Fixed Salary, a buy-out contract, used by the BBC.
SOC
Standing Orders Committee
SOLT
Society of London Theatre, the employer's association for commercial theatres in London.
STV
Scottish Television, operator of two television licences in Scotland.
TMA
Theatrical Management Association, the employer's association for middle and large-scale theatre venues across the UK.
TOIL
Acronym standing for time off in lieu (in lieu means in place of) Typically, TOIL is used to grant additional time off in place of payment for additional hours worked.
TVFF
Television Freelance Fund, the industry group administered by Skillset, to disburse funds for training.
UKFC
UK Film Council
UNI-MEI
The Media Entertainment and Arts section of the global union UNI. Works with over 140 unions and guilds and 250,000 workers worldwide. BECTU is affiliated.
Unionlearn
'Unionlearn' is the learning section of the TUC and covers vocational training, adult learning and union reps education
Vocational training
The term 'vocational training' describes work-related education and training (as opposed to academic learning or personal interest learning)
VT Group
Previously Vosper Thornycroft, and with roots in shipping, the company diversified into broadcast services with the creation of Merlin Communications whose business grew in the 1990s from the contract to transmit BBC World Service output.
WPDs
The Writers Producers and Directors branch of BECTU
WTR
Working Time Regulations, first passed in 1998 following a European Community Directive.