BBC unions plan four days of strikes

Comments received

What happens to staff who are not union members who do not cross the picket lines?

Mary, BBC staff, London UK 12 May 2005

Please don't bank on the support remaining solid if you're planning to keep that level of strike action going - last time round the days were not that frequent. I'm appalled by the way Thompson has implemented his 15% cuts but I'm also very aware of the political realities and I would be very surprised if strike action moves the negotiating position very far. The 5x strike days will cost me £500.

John, BBC staff 12 May 2005

Your proposed strike is totally unjustified. Everybody admits the BBC is grossly overstaffed and needs rapid pruning. Other people including myself have been made redundant over the years and for me it was the best thing that ever happened to me and strikes will achieve absolutely nothing and this a dispute you cannot and must not win. Your actions are purely selfish as you have absolutely no regard for viewers and listeners who will be upset that they cannot listen to and watch their favourite programmes. The BBC management are only carrying out government instructions so that the charter can be renewed. You and Amicus and NUJ and must live in the real world. Many years ago Mrs Thatcher spoke of strikers as the "wreckers in our society" and how right she was. Please use your brains and get back to negotiation so that the strikes will not happen. There will be serious trouble for you if you wreck Wimbledon and the Open Golf. It will serve you right if strikers are instantly sacked if they do not work normally. Perhaps union recognition should be withdrawn.

David, Christchurch UK 12 May 2005

What is being said to freelance staff re the dispute? I am concerned that the BBC will use try to use them to undermine our action. I was told by a senior manager on Monday that there is pressure to in future use as many freelance staff as possible.

Ian, BBC staff, Glasgow UK 12 May 2005

Is there an opt out clause for Security/Front of House Staff as they provide First Aid and Fire cover under the Health & Safety remit?

Gary, BBC staff, Belfast UK 12 May 2005

I think that having two days of strike action directly after the bank holiday sends out entirely the wrong message. It makes the strike look like an extended holiday. Surely the purpose of the strike is not to give workers "an extended break".

Matt, BBC staff, Birmingham UK 12 May 2005

Mark Thompson has failed to provide staff with anything even remotely convincing with which to justify his dreadful plan for the BBC. His proposals are so damaging that I can only presume he wants no competition from the BBC when he goes back to the commercial sector.

Nigel, BBC staff, Bradford-on-Avon UK 12 May 2005

I think that it is vital the unions get together and launch an advertising campaign BEFORE THE DAY OF ACTION to tell the public the exact details of this dispute. In particular to tell people the pay scales and salaries of the senior management and how many there are and the fact that none of them are being targeted with regard to cost savings of staff. This fact certainly applies to ourselves here in Plymouth but I don't know if it applies to every region. I also think that the dramatic effects of the drop in quality of programmes should be made known.

Bob, BBC staff, Plymouth UK 12 May 2005

BBC - it is lazy [sic] organization, which is collecting peoples' money for nothing. They have to cut 99% of their staff !

Sergejs, London UK 12 May 2005

Can you please explain why only 49.4 percent of members have voted? Is there really so much apathy, or is your database hopelessly out of date? What action are you taking to investigate the low return of ballot papers?

Richard, BBC staff, Glasgow UK 13 May 2005

Guidance for freelances, as was provided during the recent ITV dispute, would be welcomed. I'm sure many freelance workers support the action being taken at the BBC but we need to be informed of the union's recommendation regarding acceptance of new bookings for strike days and action to be taken if bookings have already been accepted.

Adrian, BECTU member, London UK 13 May 2005

Nobody wants to take industrial action, or does so lightly, & I'm sure we all take our responsibilities working for a publicly-funded organisation very seriously. But let's remember Mark Thompson & his merry band of BBC wreckers have completely failed in their moral & legal duty to consult & negotiate about their proposed bloodshed, er, I mean "changes". Thompson's disgraceful actions have forced us to fight back.

I'm scheduled to work all three of the announced strike days, & it's going to hurt me to lose the pay just as it will for every one else, but if we don't support this action & put our pay packets where our mouths are it will cost us much more in the long run. I have two young children (2 & 4 years), so I really mean it will hurt me & my family. But if Thompson gets his way thousands of us will lose our jobs, thousands of us will be sold to the highest bidder (modern day slavery?), thousands of us will lose our pensions, & tens of thousands of us will end up with impossible workloads as the remaining 80% of the staff try to do 100% of the work & develop stress related illnesses.

If Thompson succeeds in cutting back on training & safety as he plans to, no doubt quite a few of us will end up seriously injured & in hospital, & how long will it be before someone gets killed at work? We need to take a long term view on this. I think supporting the action is a long term investment for my future career & safety; I don't want to end up as a statistic in my local dole office, hospital or graveyard.

Finally, & most importantly, this dispute is just as much about defending the BBC for the country as for the staff, & clearly the BBC management & UK government (anyone for a conspiracy theory? I suspect it's currently the same thing) are happy to wreck the BBC, which means BBC staff & the joint unions are the only defence the BBC has, & the BBC must be saved for the nation. If Thompson succeeds in his plans, a jewel of British society will be wrecked, probably fatally, & if we allow the quality of output to drop there won't be a credible justification for the licence fee any more.

I was amused by "David, Christchurch UK 12 May 2005" contribution to this comments' section. Is this guy Mark Thompson's Dad!? David conveniently overlooks the facts of Margaret Thatcher's reign of terror, & specifically her track record regarding the Miners' strike. In the Miners' strike of 1983/84 Thatcher lied, & Arthur Scargill (The NUM Leader) was proved right; Thatcher claimed she didn't intend to shut down the mining industry, & Arthur warned us that was exactly her intention. As we all now know, the evil that was PM Thatcher completely wrecked the UK coal mining industry, & the associated communities. David is right that Thatcher said strikers are "wreckers in our society", but she lied again, because Thatcher wrecked society, not the courageous mine workers who defended themselves & their communities on the picket lines.

If we don't stand up for ourselves & the BBC, Thompson is going to trash us & the BBC just like Thatcher trashed the Miners!!!

John, BBC staff, London UK 13 May 2005

I would like to echo the concerns of others and ask for guidance regarding freelance workers. I'm presuming already accepted bookings are ok but what should we do if asked to work on a strike day? What if we are asked to work for another company providing "strike day coverage"?

John, BECTU member, Essex UK 13 May 2005

It is apparent that David from Christchurch has no grasp of reality himself. If it were not for the BBC staff, a lot of whom are BECTU, NUJ and Amicus members, the programmes he and his friends hold so dear, simply wouldn't be made.

The argument is further weakened by quoting that woman. The "wreckers" in this instance are the very people along with non-union staff that keep the BBC running, providing a vast diversity of programming for the licence fee, which is considerably cheaper than the alternatives, being subscription TV (SKY, ET AL)

I myself was made redundant from the BBC and I would love to say it was the best thing that happened to me..... What about 4,000 more people chucked onto the already competitive Freelance market?

I wholeheartedly support the Industrial action by the joint Trades Unions... and wish we non-staffers were allowed to join in...but that woman put paid to secondary action after the '84 Miner's Strike...damn!

Aidan, BECTU member, Milton Keynes, UK 13 May 2005

I am a freelance lighting cameraman and BECTU member Well over 70% of my work comes directly from the BBC, and since Mr. Thompson has been in charge, my work load has been slashed by 90%.

I have done 10 days work in 6 months, and I have recently found out that this is solely because of the internal cuts being implemented within the BBC - and that many programmes are going to "self-op" DV type programmes.

I support this strike fully as the BBC is the BEST production company in the world, and quality of programmes must prevail. That won't happen with these cuts, and we will all suffer - the workers and the audiences!

Stephen, BECTU member, Dorset UK 13 May 2005

Beware any thoughts of apathy concerning this action. To do nothing will give a green light to the BBC to do what it did to ITV. As a former employee of ITV how I wish that the conditions had existed for members to take action during the closure of The Nottingham Studios last year.

The proposed job losses will impact on staff and freelance. Any idea that there will be any employee winners is illusory. Productions will end and buildings will close. Be under no illusion the biggest folly is to do nothing.

Dave, BECTU member, Nottingham UK 14 May 2005

Does the union offer any kind of compensation or strike pay for those of us who are due to be working all 3 days the strikes are planned for? I for one cannot afford to lose 300 pounds out of next month's wages.

Adrian, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 15 May 2005

This is the biggest threat to the BBC in its history.Thompson is trying to turn the BBC into a bigger version of Channel 4.That is, a broadcaster who produces exactly no thing, and merely puts out stuff other people make, with a very small workforce.This is, of course, a way for senior suits like him to get very very rich at everyone else's expense.

BECTU (and indeed the NUJ and Amicus) SHOULD get full-page adverts in the Telegraph and the Times explaining to the public why this dispute matters (we are, after all, talking about the future of the BBC!). Why this wasn't escalated during the election and made an election issue is a mystery to me.This relatively low-key approach appalls me.

Incidentally, so does the "midnight-to-midnight" timing of the actions! Noon-to-noon would be far more effective (viz., the Underground workers' strikes). The unions must get serious about this or Thompson and his cronies will walk all over us.

Simon, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 16 May 2005

Our immediate priority is to make the first strike days really effective. We need to recruit members and get the maximum impact right from the start. Thompson is much more likely to start meaningful negotiations sooner if faced with solid opposition from day one.

George, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 16 May 2005

The evidence of BBC management before the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee was thin and unconvincing in this report. When the hearing was broadcast, BBC management was simply embarrassing. The unions' evidence, on the other hand, was cogent and effective.

Fearchar, BBC, BECTU member, Glasgow UK 16 May 2005

Why is there so little practical advice coming from BECTU? People have a lot of questions and concerns that are being voiced over and over again all over the country. There is more practical information on the BBC's own Gateway discussion forums than there is on the BECTU site. How about a Frequently Asked Questions page?

[FAQ page is at www.bectubbc.org.uk/bbc2005/strike_faq.html BECTU Webmaster]

Johnathan, BBC, BECTU member, Bristol UK 16 May 2005

Striking isn't selfish - it's not selfish to lose several days' pay to defend the institution you value. It's not selfish to draw listeners' and viewers' attention to what's happening to the BBC they fund. Anyone who values the BBC and its audiences should respect the strike.

Abigail, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 16 May 2005

From talking to a lot of people there seems to be a great divide building up. People want to support the strike but in the short term feel they can't lose the money. Some people feel they will have to cross the picket lines.

I don't believe "a lot of people" are Union members - some are.

Jim, BBC, BECTU member, Edinburgh UK 16 May 2005

Last year I was served with compulsory redundancy and I am happy to say I have now been found alternative employment at the same business unit. The job is a continuing contract. Whilst I did much of my own 'homework' and 'fighting 'in this situation, BECTU provided a sizeable back-up in terms of how to approach the situation. I was very grateful and continue to be grateful.

The latest strike action has, however, come to me as a huge shock in terms of loss of pay. Three, possibly four days, out of a month's salary. I am single, on £21000 a year (support staff with no UPA I or UPA II), with no prospect of gaining back any money from a parent or partner.

Please, understand those employees who are like me. It just won't be easy to commit to this sort of action. If proposed action brings about a decent compromise from the BBC, then fair enough. If not, I will regrettably have to cross a picket line or, even more regrettably, have to withdraw my membership of the union.

Charmian, BBC, BECTU member, Oxfordshire UK 16 May 2005

I was interested to see that the turnout was only 50% may I ask how many people like me got their ballot papers the day before the closing date, and how many got them after the closing date?

It seems totally ridiculous to call a strike when only 50% of the staff have voted, and potentially 50% never got the chance.

Matthew, BBC, BECTU member, Plymouth UK 16 May 2005

Has it occurred to BECTU that the Scottish Parliament is serviced by BBC staff, some of whom may well be BECTU members. The 31st is on a day when committees are sitting, and the 1st is on a full main chamber day. I think problems running the Scottish parliament would be far more effective than any other action. However I also think it will be very difficult for those involved to comply with a strike call

Richard, BBC, BECTU member, Glasgow UK 16 May 2005

However much none of us wants to lose a day's (let alone four days') pay by going on strike, the alternative for many of us will be unemployment. That's going to be the reality for 6000 people - 20% of our friends and colleagues - if we can't persuade the BBC to think again about their savage job cuts.

And anyone who buys Thompson's claptrap about streamlining BBC bureaucracy and management; do you really think that management will decide to make themselves redundant from their highly paid non-programme making jobs ... or maybe they'll give thousands of hard working low paid staff on short term contracts the chop? Tricky one, ain't it?

Richard, BBC, BECTU member, Manchester UK 17 May 2005

To the members of staff that are complaining about losing wages during the strike days. It would appear that you aren't directly affected by the proposed cuts and sales or you wouldn't even consider not striking!

I am in one of the sections up for sale, and my future career and pension are definitely worth fighting for, as well as the future of the BBC! Please think about those directly in the firing line and also about those that will have to do the extra work created by the reduction in staffing.

All of us in my section work for the BBC 'in spite' of management and their attempts to drag us down to the level of our tabloid opposition - do the general public really want 'Sun TV' or 'Big Brother' 24/7? Don't forget, 'It's Your BBC', it looks like that previous management slogan will come back to haunt them!

John, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 17 May 2005

As a ordinary member of the public and a license payer I would like to offer my support for your action.

Whilst understandably you are all concerned for your jobs, I am concerned for the BBC.

The BBC is important not only for the breadth and range of its programmes but also for the requirement that it is balanced and impartial. Whilst I can find fault with the BBC in these areas never-the-less it sets a standard which is, or a least should be, publicly accountable.

We have witnessed the difficulties experienced in the USA where their deregulation has led to a severe deterioration of its national broadcast news and current affairs output. In a society where there is little public accountability of broadcasting it is all too easy for broadcaster to move to news output that either reflects their proprietor's bias or to provide entertainment disguised as news.

I have tried to understand Mr. Thompson's publicly stated arguments for the current spate of job cuts but can find little that is convincing. I note that every four or five years that the government or the BBC commissions consultants who pour over the BBC's books and recommend cuts. Cuts take place and the process is repeated.

What is apparent is that either the management of the BBC is particularly bad or that the policy of continued cutting will eventually destroy the BBC. Of course if the former is correct then the management should be removed immediately.

The only people who would appear to benefit from Mr. Thompson's cuts would appear to be the independent sector and the competing broadcasters, the commercial radio companies, Sky, Channels 4 & 5 and ITV.

I understand the BBC's management wish to raise the amount of programmes made by independent companies to up to fifty percent of the BBC's output. This policy will not only diminish the totality of the expertise and creativity of those employed by the BBC but also will also transfer the valuable rights in after sales and other secondary markets to the private sector. This would appear to be a gross and unwarranted subsidy of the private market.

The BBC belongs to the British public and the current policy of the BBC's management would appear to be devaluing this asset of which the staff are a valuable part.

The fall out from this will be a significantly weakened BBC.

So good luck in your action and remember that you are not just doing this for yourselves but also for the British public.

John, London UK 19 May 2005

If we fail to stand together for the rights of those who are facing compulsory redundancy and the possible loss of pension rights now, how long until it happens again? This is no money-grabbing or quasi-political campaign, but simply the BBC unions standing up for their members' interests. All BECTU members should show their support during the forthcoming action for the sake of those currently facing redundancy and outsourcing, AND to protect the future and working conditions for those left at the BBC.

Simon, BBC, BECTU member, Nottingham UK 20 May 2005

No matter which part of the BBC you are in we all need to push this one all the way! The BBC is the peoples channel under ROYAL charter, not a labour one! (I don't think it's King Tony quite yet). Governments come & go but we MUST be here to stay. Unfortunately there seems to be little backbone upstairs, when Tony Blair says jump the only response from Mr Thompson seems to be please sir, how high sir? We need to get this govt. Lacky moved on a.s.a.p. and get back to what we do best, something he seems to know little about.

Out-sourcing has been an expensive disaster every time it's been tried, just look at the mess the LST deal has caused, but politically it's still a really great idea, hence Mr Thompsons decision to out-source businesses simply because he can see no reason to keep them. This is probably the most short sighted & offensive remark I have heard from anyone at the BBC, it shows a total lack of respect for both the staff & the viewers.

Derek, BBC, BECTU member, London UK 20 May 2005

Nice to see some 21st century reality catching up with the your members.

I guess your members have missed all the changes in the economy over the last 20 years, whereby no one else has, or should have, job security.

In the modern world, everyone has to prove their worth by results alone (be they financial or otherwise). If you can't deliver, you deserve to be sacked... It's how markets work.

As for these cuts destroying the BBC, I suppose you have a vested interest in saying that, but at the end of the day the judges will be viewers and listeners, not you.

Welcome to the real world.

Anthony, London UK 22 May 2005

On behalf of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members in the London region we wish BECTU members every success in defending BBC jobs. Having taken strike action in 2002 we know how important support from other trade unionists is.

If you need us to do anything please contact us. in solidarity

Linda, London UK 22 May 2005

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