Congress supports striking BBC workers
25 May 2005
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions strongly supports the strike action of BBC workers in opposition to the savage job cuts proposed by the Director General Mark Thompson. The plan to introduce 4,000 redundancies and to outsource a range services hits at the very heart of the BBC, a public service broadcasting organisation long admired by the Irish people.
The members of Amicus, BECTU and the NUJ have been forced to take industrial action because of the refusal of management to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Their demands for an assurance that there will be no compulsory redundancies and that the terms and conditions of those whose jobs are outsourced will be protected are reasonable. Congress sends fraternal greetings to all those taking part in the industrial action, including the members of our affiliate unions in Northern Ireland.
The public services values of the BBC have provided a template for public service broadcasting across the globe. It is not surprising that the International Federation of Journalists and a range of media unions have condemned the redundancy proposals worldwide. This strike is not just about redundancies. It is about the ethos of the BBC and the fight to preserve the highest quality in public service broadcasting and a time when there is a need to preserve the independence and integrity of journalism