BBC propaganda starts before strike
Unions have issued a rebuttal to e-mails being sent to BBC staff by managers ahead of a 24-hour strike on May 23.
The e-mails, sent by heads of the BBC's 15 divisions, were all based on a list of seven bullet points prepared centrally, and implied that the unions had refused to engage in discussions about plans for extensive cuts and privatisation in the Corporation.
In reality, talks broke down in April after the BBC refused to accept three protective demands tabled on behalf of members. These included a freeze on changes for 90 days while negotiations continued, a commitment from the BBC that compulsory redundancies would be avoided, and a promise that more than 2,500 staff facing outsourcing or privatisation would have access to a final salary scheme under any new employer, and protection of terms and conditions.
Unions had hoped that agreement on these demands would allow full negotiation on the details of Mark Thompson's BBC reorganisation, amid fears that the scale of the cuts would force staff who remain to take on more work, and put the Corporation in a position where it may not be able to deliver the many extra services it is promising licence-payers.
BECTU union representatives have been sent an e-mail rebutting management's claims (below), and officials are braced for more propaganda aimed at undermining the stoppage before action starts at midnight on Sunday May 22.
This email is being sent out to counter various misleading statements being made by senior BBC managers.
The Unions have been accused by the BBC of walking away from talks.
The BBC is more than willing to talk at us but has flatly refused to negotiate. It insists that there can be no reduction in the numbers to go, and no guarantees for those facing outsourcing or company sales. They only want to "talk" to us about how to manage the cuts and we do not believe our members want us to take part in such "talks".
We refuse to be talked at or lectured by the BBC about why the cuts must happen and why we should assist the BBC in the sacking and sell of 4000 staff.
The demands we are making are not unreasonable. Is it reasonable of the BBC to insist that 80% of the staff can do 100% of the work? Is it reasonable of the BBC to refuse to offer protection to staff facing an outsourcing or company sale? Is it reasonable of the BBC to insist on compulsory redundancies when it is hiring between 4-5000 new staff every year and could achieve the job cuts through natural wastage?
The BBC is required by law try and avoid, mitigate or reduce the redundancies and it can only do that by negotiating with the Unions not by "talking" at them.
If your manager tells you that the Unions do not want to talk to the BBC, tell him or her that the Unions are prepared to negotiate whenever the BBC is ready.
Please circulate this email to all BECTU members at the BBC.
Regards
Luke Crawley
Supervisory Official