Fortnight

An exciting two weeks ahead for the leadership team of BBC England, as the NUJ calls a strike from 11am on Budget Day, March 15th. 

The impact will be largely felt on BBC1's top show - the 6.30pm regional news. Has the management in each of the English variations of this half-hour got enough non-union hacks and presenters to get on air in a credible form ? Will technical support staff from other unions cross picket lines ?  Will management try one or several 'sustaining' services for English local radio ?

Meanwhile, in IR terms, is there anything the management side can afford to negotiate - or do they intend to sit this out as far as the Coronation and Eurovision ?  Remember, this is not a pay dispute, but an argument about deployment of resources. 

On the BBC side, you have Rhodri Talfan-Davies, Jason Horton and Zoe Baker (HR) against the ring-savvy Michelle Stanistreet and Paul Siegert from the NUJ.   In the background, the West Country Duo of Nigel Lewis and Phil Thomas, flexing their industrial relations experience for perhaps the first time in their eight years with Auntie. And, welcome to the BBC, Uzair Qadeer, Chief People Officer, presumably chairing his first crisis meeting today. I wonder if his three-month deep dive into BBC HR included a scenario like this.