The Stage

Bectu members vote in favour of BBC strike

Published Wednesday 1 September 2010 at 16:48 by Matthew Hemley

Members of Bectu working for the BBC have signalled their support for strike action in a dispute over pensions.

The union’s members, along with members at the NUJ and Unite, have been balloted over strike action because of plans at the BBC to to cap pensionable pay at 1% from next April.

More than 90 per cent of the unions’ members supported calls for strike action in the ballot, which closed today.

Bectu general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: “Today’s massive ballot result confirms the extent of staff anger over the BBC’s plans - we clearly have a resounding mandate for strike action to challenge the BBC on its plans to break its pensions agreement with staff.”

Joint union representatives from the across the country met in London this afternoon to consider the ballot results and to receive a briefing on the talks with BBC management during August.

As a result, union representatives have decided that the talks should continue until mid-September, when the BBC has said it will table alternative proposals.

The unions said “any announcement on strike dates will be deferred until that time”.