The Stage

Strike at BBC prevented as unions and Corporation reach agreement

Published Friday 28 March 2008 at 17:45 by Matthew Hemley

BBC staff have voted to accept an agreement reached between broadcasting unions and the Corporation in January over planned redundancies.

Members of Bectu, Unite and the NUJ have all accepted the agreement, which was the result of extensive talks over plans to close 2,500 posts and make 1,800 staff redundant. Discussions also focused on planned changes to pensions.

The unions’ BBC members were in the process of being balloted over strike action relating to the redundancies prior to the agreement being reached in January. Formal acceptance of the agreement means the national strike ballot has been declared null and void.

Bectu members alone voted by 92% in favour of the agreement, which provides for changes to the existing redundancy agreement and protects entitlements for current staff.

The union said “substantial progress” had been made in the area of planned redundancies, but warned there is still more work to be done in BBC Vision - the Corporation’s production and commissioning arm.

Helen Ryan, BBC supervisory official at Bectu, said “We are conscious that there is still a possibility of compulsory redundancies in some areas and especially in BBC Vision. However the agreement we have now reached with the BBC will not prevent us from balloting members in Vision if a member is served with a compulsory redundancy notice.”