Strikes postponed in BBC TV News
BECTU and the NUJ have agreed to suspend industrial action which was set to bring chaos to BBC News next week.
Management made a last-minute offer to postpone a number of compulsory redundancies, and agreed to refer a separate dispute over new rotas to government conciliator ACAS.
Read joint union statement on News strikes
The BBC had been facing an all-out stoppage of union members in BBC TV News on February 26th, followed by three days of action by 100 staff in a technical department affected by the rota changes.
Formal notice of the strikes was given to the BBC over a week ago, since when managers have redoubled efforts to find redeployment opportunities for fewer than 10 staff who were threatened with compulsory redundancy under Mark Thompson's value-for-money savings programme.
Today, February 22, the BBC confirmed that most of the compulsory redundancies had now been avoided, and that notice of dismissal would be lifted from other staff who had not secured resettlement positions elsewhere in News.
Those without replacement posts now have a stay of execution until May 1 to find jobs, and the unions have warned that strike action could be revived if notice of redundancy is issued to them at any stage.
For BECTU members in News Production Facilities (NPF), whose rota dispute has now been referred to ACAS, the same warning has been given, and industrial action remains likely if the conciliation talks fail to produce an agreed settlement.
The row over redundancies in News stretches back to May 2005, when BBC unions took strike action against plans for up to 4,000 job cuts at the Corporation.
In News unions have since agreed more than 400 post reductions, all of which were achieved by voluntary means, or natural wastage, leaving fewer than a dozen staff facing compulsory cuts.
BECTU will now stand down the arrangements that were in place for four days of action, and will be alerting thousands of freelance members who expressed support for the stoppages that they are in no danger of crossing picket lines if they accept engagements from the BBC next week.
Joint union statement strike suspended 26 February
As a result of discussions this week the number of potential redundnacies has beeen reduced and the BBC has agreed a further period of time in the expectation that negotiations will be concluded successfully with no compulsory redundancies of members. We have therefore agreed to suspend the action planned for the 26th February 2007. This means that there will be no strike on Monday at the BBC. The Joint Unions have indicated that, if necessary, they would consider industrial action at a later date over this matter, however we are hopeful that this will not now prove necessary.
The readiness of both Unions to take strike action to defend our members position has again shown this can produce positive results.
Management have also worked hard, to reduce the outstanding job loses.
Gerry Morrissey BECTU
Jeremy Dear NUJ