BBC Nottingham, London road, Nottingham

Many BBC journalist from the NUJ and technicians from BECTU walked out for a 12 hour strike today.  The action is part of their ongoing campaigns on pay, pensions, continuing job cuts, workload and bullying issues. Output was affected on local and national stations both radio and television, much being replaced by recorded content.

The NUJ said: "BBC journalists and their colleagues have walked out at noon today (Thursday) to begin a 12-hour strike against a damaging cost-cutting scheme imposed by management. The action has severly disrupted the BBC's schedules and will have a knock-on effect on Easter programming.

BBC NUJ members have gone on strike together with technicians and other members of broadcasting union Bectu over compulsory redundancies, excessive workloads and bullying and harassment within the corporation.

The BBC News and BBC World channels both switched to a pre-recorded broadcast at 12:00 when the strike began. Since then both channels have broadcast a mixture of live news bulletins and pre-recorded programmes. A shortened One O'Clock News was broadcast at 1pm while there was no World at One on Radio 4.

The action is a consequence of the BBC's so-called Delivering Quality First (DQF) initiative, a cost-cutting programme which will result in the loss of 2,000 jobs across the corporation. The strike will affect BBC sites UK-wide. All NUJ and Bectu members are also observing a work to rule."

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary said: "The impact of the cuts has meant that members are struggling to be able to get their work done and to maintain quality output. The BBC has a special role as a public sector broadcaster and it is the people who work here – not those who are running the BBC -- who are passionate about doing a good job."

"This should send a strong message to Tony Hall, the incoming director general, that we need to have to put a stop to the cuts so we can sit down and have a proper discussion to address the issues. We cannot have a situation where members are paying for the BBC's cuts with their health.

BBC journalists and colleagues walk out on strike today over job cuts and bullying

http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2855

National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

http://www.nuj.org.uk

Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)

http://www.bectu.org.uk

Earlier Piccys:

BBC NUJ Strike Picket 5th Nov 2012 

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/tumbles/643

NUJ - BBC - Events in Nottingham

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2237

____________________________________________

ALAN LODGE 

Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham.  UK

Email:                 tash@indymedia.org

Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu

Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]

____________________________________________

"It is not enough to curse the darkness.

                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"

___________________________________________

<ends>