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BBC staff go on strike over job cuts | BBC staff go on strike over job cuts |
(about 4 hours later) | |
BBC staff are holding a 12-hour strike in a continuing row over job cuts, workload and claims of bullying. | BBC staff are holding a 12-hour strike in a continuing row over job cuts, workload and claims of bullying. |
Members of the National Union of Journalists and Bectu, representing technical staff, voted in favour of the walkouts earlier this month. | Members of the National Union of Journalists and Bectu, representing technical staff, voted in favour of the walkouts earlier this month. |
The latest action follows a 24-hour strike by NUJ members on 18 February. | The latest action follows a 24-hour strike by NUJ members on 18 February. |
The unions said the strike would affect programmes, including news bulletins. The BBC said it was disappointed at the action and apologised for disruption. | The unions said the strike would affect programmes, including news bulletins. The BBC said it was disappointed at the action and apologised for disruption. |
The BBC News and BBC World channels both switched to a pre-recorded broadcast at 12:00 GMT, when the strike began. Since then both channels have broadcast a mixture of live news bulletins and pre-recorded programmes. | The BBC News and BBC World channels both switched to a pre-recorded broadcast at 12:00 GMT, when the strike began. Since then both channels have broadcast a mixture of live news bulletins and pre-recorded programmes. |
A shortened One O'Clock News was broadcast at 13:00, while there was no World at One on Radio 4. | A shortened One O'Clock News was broadcast at 13:00, while there was no World at One on Radio 4. |
There were no editions of PM and The World Tonight on Radio 4 on Thursday, and Newsnight was not broadcast on BBC Two. | |
On BBC One, however, the Six O'Clock news bulletin ran as scheduled, as did the Ten O'Clock bulletin. | |
A complete list of affected programmes is available from the BBC Media Centre's website. | A complete list of affected programmes is available from the BBC Media Centre's website. |
Moratorium | Moratorium |
The corporation is cutting about 2,000 jobs over five years as part of its Delivering Quality First (DQF) programme. | The corporation is cutting about 2,000 jobs over five years as part of its Delivering Quality First (DQF) programme. |
The jobs will be shed mostly through voluntary redundancy, but 110 staff have been made compulsorily redundant. | The jobs will be shed mostly through voluntary redundancy, but 110 staff have been made compulsorily redundant. |
The unions have called for a six-month moratorium on further post closures to allow for a review of workplace issues - but the BBC has said this would increase the savings it eventually has to find. | The unions have called for a six-month moratorium on further post closures to allow for a review of workplace issues - but the BBC has said this would increase the savings it eventually has to find. |
The unions also said they had submitted a dossier detailing "shocking levels" of bullying and harassment to an internal BBC inquiry, called Respect at Work, being conducted by Dinah Rose QC. | The unions also said they had submitted a dossier detailing "shocking levels" of bullying and harassment to an internal BBC inquiry, called Respect at Work, being conducted by Dinah Rose QC. |
The NUJ vote was 61% in favour of stoppages, while backing among Bectu members was 56%. | The NUJ vote was 61% in favour of stoppages, while backing among Bectu members was 56%. |
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said workers were sending a clear message to the BBC that it needed to address problems created by the "ill conceived and badly implemented" cuts. | Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said workers were sending a clear message to the BBC that it needed to address problems created by the "ill conceived and badly implemented" cuts. |
"It is disappointing that once again the BBC has decided not to properly engage, refusing our call for a moratorium to give space for meaningful discussions on the worrying impact of the cuts. | "It is disappointing that once again the BBC has decided not to properly engage, refusing our call for a moratorium to give space for meaningful discussions on the worrying impact of the cuts. |
"The DQF plans remain on the table, regardless of the consequence for workload and stress levels," she said. | "The DQF plans remain on the table, regardless of the consequence for workload and stress levels," she said. |
"We know that the cuts are already having an impact on the quality of work. We know that it is leading to unacceptable workloads and stress. | "We know that the cuts are already having an impact on the quality of work. We know that it is leading to unacceptable workloads and stress. |
'Great pity' | 'Great pity' |
"We know that management is using DQF as a means to harass and bully staff - making worse an already entrenched problem of bullying that has been largely ignored by those in positions of power." | "We know that management is using DQF as a means to harass and bully staff - making worse an already entrenched problem of bullying that has been largely ignored by those in positions of power." |
Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of Bectu, said: "Our members are suffering because the BBC thinks it can deliver the same levels of output with many fewer staff. | Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of Bectu, said: "Our members are suffering because the BBC thinks it can deliver the same levels of output with many fewer staff. |
"The reality is that excessive workloads caused by massive job cuts are already taking their toll with staff reporting more stress, more bullying and more harassment. | "The reality is that excessive workloads caused by massive job cuts are already taking their toll with staff reporting more stress, more bullying and more harassment. |
"The BBC has a duty of care which it is not exercising currently and it is a great pity that strike action is needed to make senior managers take the issues seriously." | "The BBC has a duty of care which it is not exercising currently and it is a great pity that strike action is needed to make senior managers take the issues seriously." |
NUJ members staged a 24-hour walkout in February that changed some schedules and disrupted news output including BBC Breakfast and the Today programme on Radio 4. | NUJ members staged a 24-hour walkout in February that changed some schedules and disrupted news output including BBC Breakfast and the Today programme on Radio 4. |
The BBC said it was "extremely disappointed" the unions had gone ahead with the latest strike action and apologised in advance to audiences for any disruption to services. | The BBC said it was "extremely disappointed" the unions had gone ahead with the latest strike action and apologised in advance to audiences for any disruption to services. |
It has said "constructive meetings" had been held with the unions in recent weeks but its position on compulsory redundancies remained unchanged. | It has said "constructive meetings" had been held with the unions in recent weeks but its position on compulsory redundancies remained unchanged. |
"We must progress with those given the significant savings we have to make and strike action simply will not change this," a spokesman added. | "We must progress with those given the significant savings we have to make and strike action simply will not change this," a spokesman added. |