IFJ and EFJ Back Strike by BBC Journalists against Compulsory Redundancies

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined journalists and their organisations in the UK urging the BBC management to resolve through negotiations the dispute with staff over the corporation's plans for compulsory redundancies at the World Service and BBC Monitoring.

The dispute has led to today's strike across the BBC where thousands of journalists walked out, causing widespread disruptions to radio and TV programmes. The National Union of Journalists in UK and Ireland (NUJ), an IFJ affiliate, says that its members at the BBC voted in favour of industrial action last month after the management refused to negotiate alternatives to compulsory redundancies.

"The massive support for today's strike shows the journalists' understandable frustration at the management appalling behaviour," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "There is simply no basis for their refusal to engage with journalists' representatives in resolving this dispute and saving jobs. This attitude is not acceptable and we fully support our colleagues' action."

The BBC management condemned the strike, warning that "Industrial action will not alter the fact that the BBC is faced with a number of potential compulsory redundancies, following significant cuts to the central Government grants that support the World Service and BBC Monitoring." But the NUJ dismisses the claim, saying that compulsory redundancies concern a few cases as there are many journalists willing to leave the BBC voluntarily. The union accused BBC managers of provoking the strike and feathering their own nests.

"It is shameful that the BBC is provoking a strike over a handful of job losses," said Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary. "There are so many people who want to leave the BBC that this could be resolved through negotiations. Jobs are being saved and created at management level, but journalists are losing theirs."

The union further questions the need to impose compulsory redundancies on journalists when the BBC World Service has been granted an extra £2.2 million by the Foreign Office for the next three years to mitigate the cuts. In the meantime, top pay at the BBC is 21.5 times the median salary and 47 times the lowest salary, says the NUJ.

The EFJ also rounded on the BBC management, describing its attitude as a threat against public services in Europe.

"The BBC attitude risks setting a dangerous precedent for other public service organisations in Europe for which support from governments is eroding," said EFJ President Arne König.

The NUJ has also called for a review of the decision to freeze the BBC licence fee for the next six years in the wake of the hacking scandal at The News of the World newspaper which shut down last Sunday. The journalists' organisation challenges the deal between the BBC management and the Coalition Government which led to deep cuts in the corporation's budget and caused the axing of language services at the World Service.

In a statement, the NUJ indicated that "Rupert Murdoch and News International executives were exerting huge influence on key government figures. It is vital that the dodgy licence fee deal should now be re-examined as a matter of urgency in light of recent developments."

The IFJ supports the NUJ call and warns of public backlash over a deal which appears to put Murdoch's commercial interests above the British public's right to a proper and fit broadcaster.

"It is an open secret that Rupert Murdoch had a vested interest in securing a financial advantage over the BBC in the British Television industry," added Boumelha. "The sheer relief from his BskyB bid's end will be short lived if the BBC future is called into question as a result of his involvement in the licence freeze deal. That needs to be reviewed in an independent and impartial way."

 

For the latest on BBC strike, pleasevisit  the NUJ special page here


For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07


The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 131 countries