BBC staff vote 9-1 to strike over pensions
Wednesday 01 September 2010
Printable
EmailThe BBC is facing the threat of strikes after thousands of journalists, technicians and other staff voted massively in favour of industrial action in a row over pensions, union officials have announced.
Members of the National Union of Journalists and technicians' union Bectu backed walkouts by more than 9-1 in protest at "punitive" changes to the staff pension scheme.
Unions held back from naming strike dates so that talks can be held over the next two weeks to resolve the dispute and avert strikes.
Bectu general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: "This is a significant mandate for strikes, which demonstrates how out of touch BBC executives are with their staff. We hope they will now come up with more realistic proposals."
NUJ leader Jeremy Dear added: "We have agreed to give the BBC two weeks to come back with an improved offer or face a concerted campaign of industrial action."
The threat of strikes follows the BBC's announcement of plans to cap pensionable pay at 1 per cent from next April and revalue pensions at a lower level, which unions said effectively devalued pensions already earned.
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