NUJ urges public to support BBC strike

The National Union Of Journalists has issued a plea for public support as its members prepare to go on strike this Friday over the BBC's pension cutbacks.

Last week, NUJ members opted to forge ahead with plans for a 48-hour strike on November 5/6 after rejecting the corporation's final pension scheme offer.

However, BBC employees at the Bectu, Unite and Equity unions will not join the strike as they decided to accept the deal tabled by BBC management.

The NUJ has scheduled another strike for its BBC members on November 15 and 16, with further dates to be announced by the union later.

Members of the union will also refuse to take on additional or voluntary duties as part of an indefinite work-to-rule, beginning on November 5.

Last month, the NUJ claimed to have seen a financial report that put the BBC's pension deficit at £1 billion, considerably below the £2bn previously estimated by management as a justification for the pension changes.

Jeremy Dear, the NUJ general secretary, today asked the public to show their support for BBC employees when they go on strike over what he describes as "pensions robbery".

"BBC journalists are not asking for higher pensions. They are not even saying they wouldn’t consider paying more or working longer for a fair pension settlement. That means a deal based on the real deficit in the scheme, not speculative and questionable figures," he said.

"It means a pension which does not lose a significant part of its value every single year for the rest of their lives - which is what will happen under the current proposals. And it should be a deal that means what has been promised to them - which they have already paid for - is protected.

"The current offer fails those tests and it fails BBC staff. That's why they've been left with no choice but to take industrial action on November 5 and 6 and November 15 and 16. They can't afford not to…and they need your support."