Discussion on Late Payment

In recent months, Bectu has been in discussions with Cloudbass Limited, regarding delays in invoice payments. We have raised significant concerns among our members, especially in light of the recent liquidations of Presteigne, Televideo and Arena, which have already impacted many of you. Over the past year, Bectu has detailed these concerns to broadcasters using Cloudbass, such as Sky, Premier Sports, and the BBC, warning that our members in Scotland might refuse to work for Cloudbass.

In May, just before one of the most important football fixtures in Scotland, the threat of action by our OB Camera members led Cloudbass to enter discussions with Bectu. Cloudbass agreed to improve payment frequency and reduce the timescale for payments to 45 days for those members working on Scottish productions but unilaterally set the payment timeframe for the rest of the UK at 60 days. While Cloudbass has mostly followed this agreement, some invoices each week still take a few days longer than the 45-day timeframe. 

As part of the agreement, Cloudbass also committed to holding regular meetings with Bectu to keep us updated on its efforts to improve the timescales for paying invoices to our members across the UK. To this end, Bectu met with Cloudbass again on 11th June, pressing them for further commitments and details on both improving payment timescales and the general cash flow position of the company.

In response, Cloudbass proposed that from 31st July, all invoices across the rest of the UK would be brought in line with those of Scottish Camera members and would be paid within 45 days. Then, as of 31 August, all Scottish Camera invoices would be paid within 38 days. Bectu and Cloudbass will meet again in July to continue monitoring the situation and discuss when the rest of the UK invoices will be reduced below 45 days.

 It is important to note that when Cloudbass refers to paying invoices within 45 or 38 days, they mean they will do a pay run every Friday to pay invoices that have reached 45 or 38 days. This means that each week, there are some invoices that haven’t quite reached 45 days, and by the time they are paid the following week, the invoice could have reached 50 or 51 days. This has caused frustration for members in Scotland who agreed to the deal on the basis that all invoices would be paid within 45 days, as well as for our members in England and Wales who were given a 60-day payment period.

Following this latest meeting, our Scottish Camera members have considered Cloudbass’s latest proposal. On their behalf, Bectu has now written back to Cloudbass to say that ALL Scottish Camera member invoices must be paid within 45 days as of now, and that from 1st September  ALL Scottish Camera invoices must be paid within 30 days. Scottish Camera members have agreed that if Cloudbass does not agree to these terms, they will identify other dates when they will decline all work from Cloudbass, and we have made Cloudbass aware of their decision.

Bectu is keen to have all members across the UK treated equally in terms of payment timescales, and your OB branch committee has been conducting research to identify the companies that are paying invoices over 30 days and would appreciate your help gathering this information.

It is clear that progress with Cloudbass has been achieved directly from the group action of not accepting work on an important event day and the resultant nervousness of the broadcasters who have contracts that use Cloudbass. Hopefully, we will soon be able to synchronise a similar strength of feeling from OB members across the UK with that of the Scottish Camera members.

We will keep all members updated on any developments with Cloudbass, but in the meantime, please feel free to get in touch if you work regularly for Cloudbass and encourage non-members on your OBs to join Bectu.