BBC staff vote for action on pay

Members of all three BBC unions will be taking strike action on 20 October following a ballot over this year's 4% pay increase.

The BBC's unions are planning a three hour protest stoppage on Tuesday 20 October, after members of BECTU, the NUJ and AEEU voted by 60% in favour of industrial action over this year's pay offer.

The stoppage will run from noon to 3 o'clock in the afternoon on 20 October, and rallies are planned near many of the BBC's main buildings (see below) so that staff can show their strength of feeling about the pay gap between their pay and the rest of industry. Double standards at the BBC will also be challenged during the day of protest - although the pay rise of 4% this year was above the rate of inflation, many senior executives received much higher increases. John Birt the Director-General was given a 9% pay rise, more than twice the increase on offer to staff.

Letters will be going out to all BBC union members from Tuesday 13 October telling them the outcome of the industrial action ballots, and instructing them to withdraw their labour for three hours starting at noon on 20 October.

On the day after the three-hour protest, BBC Governors will be meeting senior managers of the Corporation to discuss budgets for next year, and the unions hope that the stoppage will convince them that staff are angry about their pay, the fat cat mentality of top BBC executives, and the effect of the internal market on programme budgets.

Press release from BBC unions

Issued 9th October 1998

BBC staff strike over BBC fat cats' pay

Industrial action to go ahead in the BBC

For Immediate Release

Members of BECTU, NUJ and AEEU have voted in favour of industrial action across the BBC which will take place on 20th October.

BECTU BBC Supervisory Official Luke Crawley said: "The 60% majority for action demonstrates the strength of feeling amongst staff. They support the union line that the pay restraint urged by the corporation's management was hypocritical in the light of Sir John Birt's 9% pay rise.

"Other BBC senior managers received inflation-busting increases. At a time when programme budgets are being slashed and hundreds of jobs are being lost to casualisation it is unacceptable to see the Executive Board of Management being so greedy.

"It has enraged members committed to public service broadcasting to see their top managers with their snouts so deeply in the trough. Licence fees should be spent on making quality programmes not overpaying executive managers."

Since 1987 the salary of the Director General (currently £357,000) has risen by 416% (four hundred and sixteen) compared to the rise in the RPI over the same period which is 63.7%.

ENDS

Issued by BECTU Press Office. For further details please contact Gerry Morrissey or Luke Crawley on 0171 437 8506