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BBC staff to strike over job cuts BBC staff to strike over job cuts
(10 minutes later)
BBC staff will strike later this month in a row over job cuts, unions Bectu and the NUJ have announced. BBC staff are to stage a 24 hour strike in a row over job cuts, unions Bectu and the NUJ have announced.
Thousands of staff could walk out on 26 February and unions have warned it may disrupt TV news programmes.Thousands of staff could walk out on 26 February and unions have warned it may disrupt TV news programmes.
In a separate dispute, up to 95 Bectu members will strike for three days from February 27 in a disagreement over working practices in news production. Bectu official Luke Crawley said the row centred on fewer than 10 compulsory redundancies among journalists and broadcasting staff.
The BBC recently learned that its licence fee settlement from the government was less than hoped for. He said it was "madness" considering the BBC had already cut almost 4,000 jobs through voluntary measures.
Bectu official Luke Crawley said the row over job cuts centred on fewer than 10 redundancies among journalists and broadcasting staff. Mr Crawley said: "Bectu members are intent on taking strike action to protect their colleagues."
"The BBC has achieved almost 4,000 job losses through voluntary measures and it seems madness to try to force through fewer than 10 compulsory redundancies," said Mr Crawley.
'Sensible solutions''Sensible solutions'
"Bectu members are intent on taking strike action to protect their colleagues," he added. The BBC said in a statement that it regretted the strike announcement but had an obligation to licence fee payers to implement efficiency savings.
The BBC have yet to comment on the disputes. It vowed to put contingency plans in place to minimise any possible disruption to viewers.
"The BBC remains committed to trying to achieve these savings without the need for compulsory redundancies and we are still in discussions with Bectu and the NUJ about how this might be achieved," the statement read.
"The decision to take industrial action is particularly disappointing given that the BBC has been working extremely hard together to achieve as much as possible through voluntary means," it added.
The corporation said most of the value-for-money post closures achieved so far - over 1,500 - had not been through compulsory redundancy.
The NUJ said its members would strike over a refusal by BBC managers to reconsider plans for up to six compulsory redundancies.
NUJ broadcasting officer Paul McLaughlin said: "We are calling on the BBC to see sense even at this late stage because we have offered sensible solutions to all of the outstanding cases.NUJ broadcasting officer Paul McLaughlin said: "We are calling on the BBC to see sense even at this late stage because we have offered sensible solutions to all of the outstanding cases.
"Management intransigence seems to be cause of this dispute," he added."Management intransigence seems to be cause of this dispute," he added.
The TV licence fee is set to rise by 3% over each of the next two years. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: "BBC managers have absolutely nobody to blame but themselves for this strike - they have dug their heels in over an issue that could easily be resolved.
The deal will see the fee rise from £131.50 to £135.50 on 1 April, then rise gradually to a maximum £151.50 in 2012. "Hundreds of BBC staff have volunteered for redundancy and dozens of vacancies are currently being advertised, but BBC managers have refused to redeploy threatened staff and instead are seeking to force staff out the door."
BBC director-general Mark Thompson called the deal "disappointing" when it was announced last month, but added that quality would not suffer. In a separate dispute, up to 95 Bectu members will strike for three days from 27 February in a disagreement over working practices in news production.
The corporation had wanted a higher, above-inflation rise to cover increased costs and the digital TV switchover.