Vision+Media staff agree to cut in hours and pay
STAFF at Vision+Media, the support body for digitial and creative industries in the North West, have taken a temporary cut in their hours and pay.
Employees have agreed to work a four-day week and accept a 20% pay cut as part of a three-month cost saving initiative.
The Salford-based organisation is coming to terms with the loss of around half its £6m annual budget in 18 months’ time when two of its biggest supporters – the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the UK Film Council – fold in 2012.
Its 40 full-time staff will go down to a four-day week from November 1. During a three-month trial period Vision+Media’s MediaCity office will be closed on Fridays, although the film office, which provides location and production support to the industry, will not be affected and meeting rooms will still be available for hire.
In a statement chief executive Alice Morrison said: “Given the current funding uncertainty, we are having to make significant savings. Our decision to implement a compulsory four-day week for the next three months will allow us to retain our diverse and highly skilled team, while remaining as flexible as possible to address the financial challenges and capitalise on any opportunities that arise.
“This is a crucial and exciting time for our digital and creative companies that we represent, so we will continue to meet all current, agreed and funded activity across the sectors and are resolute in our goal to create a world class digital and creative economy in the North West.”
Last month Ms Morrison told TheBusinessDesk she was looking to sell Vision+Media’s services across the UK as a response to budget cuts.
The organisation said it invested £9m into the digital and creative industry in the North West last year, directly supporting 350 businesses and over 500 individuals through events, one-to-one advice sessions, surgeries, workshops and programmes.
It said its film office has helped 540 productions in the last 12 months, resulting in 1,904 filming days, bringing £48m worth of inward investment into the region.
