NUJ to ballot BBC journalists for industrial action
The union has informed the BBC that journalists will soon cast their vote in a statutory industrial action ballot, indicating their willingness to take strike action and action short of a strike.
The NUJ this week gave formal notice to the BBC of its intention to ballot, following concerning changes to workloads and planned compulsory redundancies.
For several months, the union has warned of harm to the BBC’s mission, its programming, journalists’ workloads and morale, caused by a drive to achieve large-scale cost savings. BBC management should focus on lobbying the UK government to secure long-term funding through Charter Renewal and back calls for urgent intervention in the short term. Multiple journalists have now been notified of dates they must leave the BBC unless alternative roles are found.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:
“Whilst our engagement with the BBC is ongoing journalists will now choose whether an industrial action mandate is required.
“Incessant cuts at the BBC go beyond statistics, having a real-life impact on the passionate, talented journalists at the broadcaster. Previous redundancy rounds have led to the loss of experienced workers and left those who remain with unmanageable workloads and fewer opportunities, causing lasting damage to staff morale. It’s clear that this cannot continue.
"The NUJ is steadfast in its commitment to members voting to determine their right to strike. We are clear that industrial action is always the final resort; what we need now is for decision makers at the BBC to recognise the commitment of its staff, returning with an offer that addresses unacceptable compulsory redundancies and member concerns about the impact of these swingeing cuts.
“As crucial next steps are considered, it is incumbent on our public service broadcaster to act now and stop the damaging cuts neither its journalists nor licence fee payers deserve.”
The union’s ballot opens on 3 November and will close on 24 November. We urge members at the BBC to make their voice heard by voting in favour of strike action and action short of a strike – and to encourage colleagues to do the same.
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