Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Career opportunity

"Hardball" James Harding may have avoided on-screen reporting for BBC News during a strike over pay, but he looks likely to get his chance again, over his tough line on redundancies.

The NUJ and Bectu have announced a ballot for industrial action over the mechanics of his proposed job cuts. They want an immediate recruitment freeze, and a guarantee that new jobs being created are open to those whose current jobs are at risk.  The ballot will start on 6 August, and, by my rough calculation, the earliest possible strike date is 2nd September. The Last Night of the Proms is on 13th September; voting in the Scottish Referendum takes place on 18th September. The main party conference season starts on 21st September, with Labour.

BECTU notes that it's already won a recruitment freeze in the Radio division, where 77 jobs are to go. The NUJ estimates that 500 people in News will be affected by the decision close 415 posts, and so far they've got no change from Mr Harding on his insistence that the posts close before 266 new staff are recruited. Trendy BBC Recruitment has been irritating the unions by Tweeting for external candidates for the top new jobs.




Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Other people who read this.......