Re: [Swprograms] BBC Programs Canceled as Staff Strike

[Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>]

"World Update" was also largely cancelled.  I tuned in at rougly 0930
UT to hear "The Interview" after the news update and a statement
reging a "job action by some BBC journalists and technicians..."

Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA

On 5/23/05, Joel Rubin <jmrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-britain-bbc.html
> 
> By REUTERS
> Published: May 23, 2005
> 
> Filed at 3:55 a.m. ET
> 
> LONDON (Reuters) - BBC journalists and other employees began a 24-hour
> strike over job cuts on Monday, forcing the cancellation of most live
> news programing.
> 
> The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and two other unions
> representing technical workers were striking to protest against plans
> by BBC Director General Mark Thompson to cut about 20 percent of its
> workforce, or about 4,000 jobs.
> 
> BBC News 24 and the BBC World Service were running large blocks of
> pre-recorded programing on Monday morning. Its flagship ``Today''
> radio news program was canceled.
> 
> BBC One's Breakfast television program was running with a basic
> service and one presenter, and some regional radio programs were
> presented by managers. Staff for the foreign language service of the
> World Service also joined the picket line, the NUJ said.
> 
> The BBC said it regretted the strike action and would do everything it
> could to produce the best possible service.
> 
> ``Industrial action will not remove the need for further consultation
> or the need for the BBC to implement changes which will enable us to
> put more money into improved programs and services,'' it said in a
> statement.
> 
> The NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear called on the BBC to
> ``understand and respond to the anger and concern at job cuts which
> will undermine quality, threaten the working conditions of staff and
> devalue the BBC for viewers and listeners.''
> 
> The NUJ along with the Bectu and AMICUS unions voted on May 12 to
> authorize four strike days: 24 hours on May 23, 48 hours over May 31
> and June 1, and a fourth day without a set date.
> 
> They chose to avoid big events like the Wimbledon tennis tournament,
> televised on the BBC.
> 
> The unions had said they would call off the strike if the BBC granted
> a 90-day moratorium to the planned staff cuts, guaranteed that any
> redundancies be voluntary and protected conditions of jobs set to be
> outsourced.
> 
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