The Stage

BBC strike ballot extended

Published Friday 4 January 2008 at 16:10 by Matthew Hemley

Broadcasting unions have extended a strike ballot of their BBC members by two weeks, in order to allow new negotiations to take place over planned compulsory redundancies at the Corporation.

Bectu, the National Union of Journalists and Unite are believed to have approached the BBC earlier this week, offering to delay the closing of the ballot so further negotiations could take place.

The ballot of the unions’ 10,000 BBC members, which was due to close on January 9, is being held following the Corporation’s decision to push ahead with compulsory redundancies as part of director general Mark Thompson’s plans to cut 1,800 jobs - despite hundreds of BBC staff coming forward to offer voluntary redundancy.

A joint statement issued today by the unions and the BBC said: “Following informal dialogue between the BBC and the Joint Unions, it has been agreed that formal negotiations will take place between January 9 and January 23, 2008. During this period there will be no further communications.

“The Joint Unions have agreed to make no announcements until January 23 with regard to their intentions to take industrial action and the BBC have agreed that there will be no announcements in relation to compulsory redundancies prior to that date.”

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said he welcomed the fact new negotiations were taking place, but added: “We remain prepared to take action should it become necessary.”