Petition reveals nursery anger

Over 3,000 have signed the unions' petition against the BBC's proposed nursery closures.

BECTU and the NUJ ran nationwide campaigns to alert fellow workers to the BBC's plans to scrap its existing childcare provision and replace it with a voucher system.

NEC member Jane Perry, a lay official at the BBC said: "The campaign has been very grassroots which has been wonderful in terms of local action.

"Having little nursery campaigners with us when we handed over the petitions to Director General Mark Thompson on 21 March was a particular joy and very motivating."

A covering letter from BECTU and the NUJ asked the BBC for positive action rather than this 'backward, regressive decision'.

They argued that parents who have nursery places work smarter as a result 'especially women returning to work, often at just the age when they are both starting families and taking on more responsibility at work'.

Comments from staff included:

• "If I didn't have the Macklin Street nursery, my two kids would have to go to a childminder for nearly 12 hours a day. Local nurseries aren't an option as they tend to run 8am-6pm - we would never see them!"
• "The opening hours, 8am-7pm are extremely unusual in commercial nurseries and it enables me to work longer at work if needed. The convenience of having my son on site, in an excellent nursery, was essential in my decision to have children, meaning I could combine a family and a career."
• "I'm concerned about the extra pressures being placed on parents currently using the nursery and the knock on effect on other members of staff. For single parents and junior staff the shutting down of nurseries will be a heavy blow."

During the campaign BECTU was threatened with legal action by the BBC for using an image of Pudsey Bear on this site.