Strike ballot planned at BBC Scotland

BECTU has today (Thursday) formally notified the BBC that it will ballot its members in Glasgow to resist compulsory redundancies.

The cuts affect staff targetted by year two of the Corporation’s Creative Futures proposals.

Management are in the final stages of a selection process to close 17 posts in TV Production with a smaller number of other compulsory redundancies threatened in other departments in Glasgow.

The ballot will open next Friday, 27 February, and will close on 20 March; following this the three unions will meet with their members to agree a course of action.

Discussions with the BBC started late last year in an effort to avoid the dispute which now looks likely.

A “failure to agree” recorded at a recent meeting with Nations and Regions management, left the joint unions with no alternative but to commence statutory ballots for industrial action.

BECTU, Unite and the NUJ are ready to continue discussions with BBC Scotland at all levels in the search for a resolution which makes industrial action unnecessary; however, all three unions are committed to opposing compulsory redundancies.

Scottish Organiser, Paul McManus, expressed disappointment at the prospect of a ballot:

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to protect our members jobs through constructive dialogue but we must also send a very clear message to the BBC that as a last resort, if necessary, all our members in Glasgow will take action to oppose compulsory redundancies.

“Agreement has already been reached on around 50 other post closures to meet the BBC’s objectives under year two of Creative Futures,”

“But another 60 jobs are scheduled to go next year and if members don't take a stand now then a lot more staff could face compulsory redundancy 12 months from now."

BBC Scotland closed around 100 jobs in year one of Creative Futures; all posts were closed voluntarily. In this exercise, however, the number of volunteers falls short of the 70 posts which the BBC is insisting must close.