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- BBC workers staged a 12-hour walk-out in row over job losses and workload
- Unions said action would have been postponed in event of Mandela’s death
- The South African president, 94, is seriously ill in hospital
By PAUL REVOIR and ALASDAIR GLENNIE
source http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Union leaders said triking BBC staff would have returned to work in the event of Nelson Mandela’s death – but suggested the death of Baroness Thatcher might not have warranted the same response.
When it emerged that ailing South African president Nelson Mandela, 94, had been admitted to hospital, union leaders declared the walk-out would be postponed in the event of his death ‘for BBC news coverage of that story only’.
But the question of whether the same would apply in the event of the death of Baroness Thatcher – nemesis of the trade union movement in the 1980s – was not met with the same response.
Journalists and technical staff staged a 12-hour walk-out at midday yesterday amid a row over job losses, workload and bullying claims at the Corporation.
Contrast: Strike action at the BBC would have been postponed in the event of Nelson Mandela’s (left) death, but that of Baroness Thatcher (pictured right in 2005), might not have warranted the same response
Strike action: Journalists and technical staff staged a walk-out yesterday amid a row over job losses and workloads
The National Union of Journalists and Bectu both told the Daily Telegraph they had not considered what their course of action would be in the event of the 87-year-old former prime minister’s death.
‘Mandela, with his background in the trade unions, is an important figure for everybody,’ an NUJ spokesman said.
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A BBC spokeswoman said of the union’s contingency plan ahead of yesterday’s walk-out in light of Mr Mandela’s condition: ‘We welcome this announcement and it is a tribute to the character of BBC staff.’
The strike, which lasted until midnight, led to the cancellation of BBC 2’s Newsnight, Radio 4’s PM and the World Tonight.
There are further threats of stoppages to come at the BBC as the corporation makes savings and the action will be followed by a ‘work to rule’.
The BBC apologised for disruption caused by the strike but said it could not agree to union calls for compulsory job losses to be postponed.
Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the technicians’ union Bectu mounted picket lines outside BBC centres, including New Broadcasting House in central London.
The unions are protesting at the Delivering Quality First (DQF) programme which will lead to 2,000 job losses.
Impact: The strike left the BBC news channel with insufficient workers to put out a live service
Viewers aired their bafflement at the situation on the BBC’s news channel from midday yesterday.
One wrote: ‘Odd. BBC News Channel has a big “recorded†banner at the top of the screen, and has just started with “Good morningâ€. Problems?’
Another wrote: ‘BBC News Channel running pre-recorded output – ‘Hello Good Morning…’
One added: ‘BBC on strike, BBC News channel output is recorded from this morning.’
The BBC said last night that the first hour of the strike on the news channel had shown recorded coverage from the previous hour to manage the transition into the strike period. They claimed this had also happened during previous strikes.
Initially more than 100 people massed outside Broadcasting House as part of the action.
At its peak, a thick picket line sprawled across the width of the main entrance.
However within 30 minutes the group’s numbers dwindled to about a dozen, who stood in a small group, holding placards in front of the centre’s glass revolving doors.
Some claimed that staff were being ‘bullied’ to do more work as a result of the cuts.
Read more:Â http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301006/BBC-strike-Staff-returned-work-Nelson-Mandela-died–death-Thatcher.html#ixzz2OwM5sCNj
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