BBC Staff Strike Over Job Cuts And Bullying

Easter BBC schedules will be disrupted after a walk-out today, Thursday, by journalists and their broadcasting colleagues against the damaging cost-cutting programme imposed by management.

BBC NUJ members walked out at midday together with technicians and other members of broadcasting union Bectu for a half-day strike over compulsory redundancies, excessive workloads and bullying and harassment within the corporation.

BBC workers left their offices and studios led by their union leaders in action that will disrupt the Bank Holiday schedule. The action is a consequence of the BBC's so-called Delivering Quality First (DQF) initiative, a cost-cutting programme which will result in the loss of 2,000 jobs across the corporation. The strike will affect BBC sites UK-wide.

Michelle Stanistreet said: "Members are taking strike action today in a clear message to the BBC that it needs to listen to its staff and address properly the problems created by its ill-conceived and badly implemented cuts programme. It is disappointing that once again the BBC has decided not to properly engage with us, refusing our call for a moratorium to give space for meaningful discussions on the worrying impact of the cuts. The DQF plans remain on the table, regardless of the consequence for workload and stress levels.

"We need Tony Hall to come in as director general with a big broom to sweep away management complacency and set new priorities. Events in recent months have made clear that the BBC management is in turmoil. The new DG needs to have a new start – to put the disastrous decisions made by Mark Thompson and the lack of leadership of George Entwistle behind him and have a major rethink of DQF.

"We know that the cuts are already having an impact on the quality of work. We know that it is leading to unacceptable workloads and stress. We know that management is using DQF as a means to harass and bully staff – making worse an already entrenched problem of bullying that has been largely ignored by those in positions of power.

"We hope the forthcoming Respect at Work report will be a positive step forward in tackling a problem that has become institutionalised – but it's hard to believe that there's a real commitment to change when we're seeing cases of people who have been targeted, bullied and unfairly picked off being rushed out of the door. Compulsory redundancies are being pushed through at the same time as jobs are being advertised externally: this is not just bad management, it's a waste of licence fee money."

The NUJ provided a dossier of evidence to the BBC's review of its policies and processes relating to bullying and harassment, a process headed by Dinah Rose QC. The request for confidential evidence by the NUJ resulted in a huge response from BBC past and present journalists.

It revealed a shocking picture of widespread and entrenched bullying and harassment, alongside a sustained failure by BBC management to deal with the perpetrators. It is clear that whilst the problem is an entrenched one, it has worsened in the wake of the cuts taking place under DQF. Today's action follows a one-day strike by NUJ members last month over compulsory redundancies – action which resulted in a range of flagship programmes, such as Radio 4's Today and Breakfast TV, being pulled off the air.

The NUJ vote was 61.2% for strike action and 79.9% for action short of a strike.

(CD)