BBC journalists striking for 24 hours

Journalists at the BBC are on a 24-hour strike over jobs

19:21 18 February 2013

A 24-hour strike began on Monday, 18th February, whereby BBC journalists suspended work at their posts over job concerns. Due to the strike the Radio 4 programme ‘Today’, which usually beings at 6am, was not aired.

 

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) also began protests over compulsory redundancies, according to reports. The NUJ said that some of its members at the BBC were concerned about alleged redundancies.

It was the NUJ’s general secretary Michelle Stanistreet who headed the walkout at midnight on Sunday, 18th February.

 

Ms Stanistreet said: "NUJ members across the BBC are taking action to defend jobs and quality journalism at the corporation. They are angry and frustrated at the poor decisions being taken at the top of the BBC - decisions that are leading to journalists being forced out of their jobs and quality journalism and programming compromised.

 

Adding that: "Instead of making sure that the redeployment process works properly in all areas of the BBC, managers are prepared to waste public money on needless redundancies and sacrifice the livelihoods of experienced and talented journalists, at the same time as advertising other jobs externally.”

 

A spokesperson for the BBC commented on the situation. They said: "We understand how frustrating and difficult situations involving redundancies can be, but it is disappointing the NUJ have chosen to take this action.

 

"We are working hard to ensure that we succeed in getting staff redeployed wherever we can and will continue to work with the unions to ensure that their members receive the right redeployment support."