The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) the European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the BBC management to reconsider the massive job cuts announced yesterday.

“The BBC is an international cornerstone of public service broadcasting and we cannot understand why the management is organising its own decline,” said EFJ President Arne König. “It looks to us the BBC is self-destructing and we urge management to reconsider its plans.”

Yesterday the BBC management announced 2000 job cuts across the BBC, which represents a 20% staff cuts over 5 years – this is in addition to the 7000 jobs already lost at the BBC since 2004. It was presented as a “direct result” of the licence fee settlement agreed behind closed doors last autumn between the Coalition Government and BBC management. The deal froze the licence fee until 2017 and introduced new funding responsibilities for the BBC.

The planned cuts concern business coverage, investigative journalism, regional current affairs programmes, the Asian Network and foreign news. Between 700-800 jobs will be lost in BBC News. Hundreds of jobs are also at risk in BBC Scotland and Wales.

The working conditions of staff have also been severely hit – plans include cuts to staff allowances, redundancy terms and re-grading and moves towards statutory redundancy consultation periods and performance related pay. New staff will also be expected to work for substantially lower salaries with worse terms and conditions at work. This will create a two-tier workforce at the BBC, warns the EFJ.

Michelle Stanistreet, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) of Great Britain said: “We are stunned that BBC news, BBC radio and quality journalism have received a disproportionate hit today. The cuts risk irreparable damage to the BBC and will inevitably compromise quality journalism and programming.”

The EFJ supports the NUJ and its members at the BBC. “Many journalists consider the BBC as a standard-setting media. If these standards are threatened it would have dramatic consequences for journalism as a public good in Europe,” added the EFJ.

The EFJ represents more than 260.000 members in over 30 countries for more information, please contact the EFJ on + 32 2 235 22 00