LONDON -Thousands of British Broadcasting Corp. journalists and technicians began a 24-hour strike over proposed job cuts yesterday, severely disrupting radio and TV programs.
The stoppage, one of the biggest in the BBC's recent history, prevented the flagship morning news program Today from broadcasting. The show was replaced by prerecorded programs with only brief news bulletins.
National and regional TV channels also showed many recorded items as a result of the industrial action, which began at midnight.
The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, one of three striking unions, said between 13,000 and 15,000 workers walked off the job over plans to ax about 4,000 jobs. It said 95 percent of production had been affected.
The BBC said the number of staff reporting for duty was slightly better than expected at almost 60 percent, although turnout was much lower among news staff.
We are pleased that we have managed to keep a core news service going
although obviously we regret the fact that there has been a strike said Caroline Thomson, the BBC's director of strategy and policy.
Three unions organizing the strike have said they will also stage walkouts on May 31 and June 1, with a fourth date to be announced later.
The savage cuts proposed will damage programming as well as the organization and will unravel British broadcasting traditions said Mike Smallwood, national officer of the Amicus union. The BBC is a unifying British institution
which acts as the nation's conscience
but these (layoffs) will damage the U.K. at its core.
But managers defended the planned cutbacks.
Industrial action will not remove the need for further consultation or the need for the BBC to implement changes
which will enable us to put more money into improved programs and services
the BBC said in a statement.
Striking workers formed picket lines outside BBC TV and radio studios throughout London. The National Union of Journalists said the strike had been an astonishing success.
-The Associated Press
17
Archives
The Associated Press
