New BBC Trust Chair welcomed

BECTU has welcomed the appointment of Sir Michael Lyons as the new BBC Trust Chair.

The union believes the absence of a Chair has meant the Trust has been rudderless in recent months, as witness the debacle surrounding BBC Jam.

General Secretary Gerry Morrissey said: "We believe the priority facing the BBC and the Trust is to protect quality output and to ensure the retention of quality staff in order to make excellent programmes for the licence fee payer.

"We also believe the BBC needs to invest in high definition television to ensure it maintains a strong position in the future."

Luke Crawley, Supervisory Official of BECTU's BBC Division commented: "The BBC has a difficult period ahead, dealing with the below inflation licence fee settlement.

"The new chairman should be under no illusion: BECTU members will not be prepared to have their jobs sacrificed in order to make ends meet.

"We do not see any reason for large scale redundancies and any proposals for this will be opposed with industrial action."