Major cuts in BBC Resources

BBC London Operations management have announced proposals to cut at least 262 jobs in a cost-saving drive.

Redundancies are planned in London Studios, TV OBs and Radio OBs, and Post-Production, all part of BBC Resources Limited.

The cuts are part of a reorganisation package aimed at saving £12m a year, £6m of which comes from redundancies and changes in conditions of service.

Management plan a major shift into use of freelance labour in categories like cameras, sound, and engineering, as well as the abolition of existing operational managers roles of Engineering Managers, Studio Resource Managers, and Operations Managers.

Two areas close, the Manchester OB base and London Studio Management, and London Comms will no longer operate point-to-point radio links. Staff throughout London Operations are also faced by new conditions of service designed to reduce overtime and extra payment.

Presenting the plans to union representatives on July 10, management said that all redundancies would be compulsory, with no trawl for volunteers. Chances of resettlement for redundant staff were also played down - although 90 new posts are created by the reorganisation, management warned that many of these would be filled from outside by new staff.

The target date for implementation of the cuts is March 2001 at the latest, with the next three months pencilled in for negotiations.

Only days before the announcement of cuts in London Operations, new DG Greg Dyke had presented his own review of BBC Resources in which he ruled out privatisation of Resources Limited, but said that significant savings would be needed to balance its books.

Union representatives are studying the proposals, but have already warned management that the plan to make all the cuts through compulsory redundancies would be a major obstacle to any negotiations.

Draft criteria for redundancy selection have been tabled by management, but the union has so far not discussed them.

The union is expecting local meetings with management to clarify the proposals which, overall, cut 116 jobs in OBs, a further 116 in Studios, 25 in support areas, and 5 in Post-Production.

Meetings where union representatives will brief members are due to take place over the next two weeks.

Details of the job cuts:

• Outside Broadcasts

  • Engineering Managers
    Category scrapped, but current 25 staff able to apply for new Resource Manager jobs covering OBs and studios.
  • Manchester OB base
    Closes, with loss of 11 base jobs. Operational staff go into redundancy selection process with London OB staff.
  • Operational cuts:
    Camera Supervisors 6
    Cameramen 17
    Sound Supervisors 5
    Deputy Sound Supervisors 5
    Sound Operators 3
    Vision Supervisors 7
    Vision Engineers 8
    VT Engineers 2
    Radio Senior Supervisors 1
    Radio Supervisors 8
    Communications Engineers 13
    Facilities Engineers. 2

• London TV Studios

  • Operational Management
    Studio Resource Managers and Studio Operations Managers all go, but current 36 staff able to apply for new Resource Manager jobs covering OBs and studios.
  • Studio Management
    Closes, with loss of up to 39 posts among Floor Managers and AFMs.
  • Operational cuts:
    Camera Supervisors 3
    Cameramen 8
    Sound Supervisors 8
    Scenic Operatives 8
    Electrical Supervisors 4
    Studio Engineers 11
    Lighting and Vision Controllers 6
    Production coordinator 1

• Support services

  • Redundancies:
    Mechanical technician 1
    Allocations 5
    Adminstration 9
    Stores/purchasing 10

• Post Production

  • Post-production Manager 1
    Post-production Sound Editor 2
    Project Manager 1
    Editing Consultant 1

Conditions of Service - main changes:

• All local agreements including 10/12s payments scrapped
• Meals defined as "minimum of 20 minutes"
• Management have right to schedule 2 weeks of leave to suit them
• Obligation to be contactable at all times
• Travel time calculated on excess travel formula
• Compensatory leave cannot be taken if it creates overtime
• No WOODs payments for days staff if time off can be given within 6 months
• Timesheets must be presented within two weeks or no payment