25. 05. 2005

BBC STRIKE DISRUPTED

LONDON, May 25, 2005 – The 24 hour strike action of the BBC workers was disrupted on Monday at midnight after the management had agreed to negotiate. The walkout was initiated as a reaction to BBC Director General Mark Thompson’s plan to cut 4000 jobs of 27 thousand employees and to privatize or sell certain parts of the corporation. It is still early to estimate the effects of the walkout of 11.000 BBC workers. However, the unions’ representatives claimed the strong support of the employees, while the management said yesterday that 60 percent of the people returned to work. A new, 48-hour walkout over the job cuts is announced for May 31 and June 1, if the agreement with the management is not reached by then. The BBC management has agreed to meet with the unions’ representatives: “We have accepted the call for talks, and will meet with the unions today”, said the BBC spokesperson. The unions warned that they would organize three more walkouts. A 48-hour walkout would be called for next Tuesday, if their demands for 90-day moratorium on the job cuts were not met. The unions also demanded the warranties for those envisaged to be sacked to be given the option of voluntary leave. “It is clear that people in BBC would not agree to meet us if they were not ready to sit down around the table. We have accepted their invitation to negotiate”, said one of the strikers’ leaders, Gerry Morrissey.