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11/05/2005
Unions vote to take action over BBC cuts
Members of BBC staff unions have voted in favour of industrial action in protest against plans for cuts and further privatisation at the corporation.
In a series of ballots which closed today (May 11), Bectu announced that almost 78% of those voting had supported strike action. The union claimed majorities had been as large as eight to one at some locations.
Separate ballots have been conducted among members of the two other main unions at the BBC, the NUJ and Amicus.
The NUJ said that just under 84% of members were in favour of action against plans by BBC Director-General Mark Thompson to axe a total of 3,780 jobs. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said the vote expressed members' "huge anger" at the cuts.
Representatives from all three unions are expected to meet in London on Thursday, May 12, to review the outcome of the ballots and decide on the next step in a campaign to resist a major trimming back of posts at the corporation.
Unions claim that by including proposals to sell off divisions of the BBC in a drive towards increased efficiency and plough back around £350 million-a-year into programmes, around a quarter of all posts will either be disestablished, privatised, or outsourced.
Unions expect that tomorrow's meeting will result in at least one date for industrial action, which due to the legal requirement for employers to be given seven days notice of stoppages, would not be before May 20.
Bectu's top BBC official, Luke Crawley, said: "This is a clear signal to Mark Thompson that he is going too far, too fast, in his plans for changes. We've got an overwhelming mandate for strike action, proving that the Director General is badly out of touch with his staff."
Any industrial action must take place within four weeks of the announcement of a union ballot result.
In a statement the BBC expressed "disappointment" saying that the corporation would rather have continued in "constructive discussions" with the unions.
(GB/SP)
In a series of ballots which closed today (May 11), Bectu announced that almost 78% of those voting had supported strike action. The union claimed majorities had been as large as eight to one at some locations.
Separate ballots have been conducted among members of the two other main unions at the BBC, the NUJ and Amicus.
The NUJ said that just under 84% of members were in favour of action against plans by BBC Director-General Mark Thompson to axe a total of 3,780 jobs. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said the vote expressed members' "huge anger" at the cuts.
Representatives from all three unions are expected to meet in London on Thursday, May 12, to review the outcome of the ballots and decide on the next step in a campaign to resist a major trimming back of posts at the corporation.
Unions claim that by including proposals to sell off divisions of the BBC in a drive towards increased efficiency and plough back around £350 million-a-year into programmes, around a quarter of all posts will either be disestablished, privatised, or outsourced.
Unions expect that tomorrow's meeting will result in at least one date for industrial action, which due to the legal requirement for employers to be given seven days notice of stoppages, would not be before May 20.
Bectu's top BBC official, Luke Crawley, said: "This is a clear signal to Mark Thompson that he is going too far, too fast, in his plans for changes. We've got an overwhelming mandate for strike action, proving that the Director General is badly out of touch with his staff."
Any industrial action must take place within four weeks of the announcement of a union ballot result.
In a statement the BBC expressed "disappointment" saying that the corporation would rather have continued in "constructive discussions" with the unions.
(GB/SP)
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