BBC Radio action dates announced

BBC Radio 4 is one of the channels that could be hit by strikes.

Unions have named two dates for industrial action in BBC Radio as members resist changes to job descriptions.

Short duration stoppages are planned for February 15 and 23, with the precise timing of the walkouts kept secret until shortly before action commences on each day.

Last month BECTU members in BBC Radio voted 60% in favour of strike action to resist new multi-skilled Assistant Producer (AP) posts being introduced. NUJ members voted for action by a similar margin.

The AP role is intended to achieve a significant proportion of Radio's Value for Money savings, but talks on the job description failed to reach an agreement on its introduction.

Members in categories which get combined into the new role, including studio managers, radio producers, and online staff, complained that they were being asked to take on too broad a range of skills, and were not being adequatedly rewarded.

Existing staff could find they are working in all three disciplines the AP job entails, on a grade as low as Band 5 of the BBC grading system.

Management offered an accelerated progression up to Band 7, but still expected multi-skilled working on the lower grades, and the proposals were overwhelmingly rejected by members in a ballot last December.

Negotiators have said that they are willing to resume talks on the AP roles before taking action, but are unlikely to sit down with management unless genuine concessions are promised.