'Strictly Come Dancing' final could be disrupted by BBC strike action

The final of the current series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing could be hit by strike action planned by the unions over proposed cuts to the BBC operation.

Following negotiations last Friday, the National Union of Journalists, BECTU and Unite have opted to issue ballots to the corporation's staff over plans to axe nearly 2,000 jobs and scale back services as part of the Delivering Quality First cost-cutting initiative.

The unions said that the BBC has rejected their proposals for conducting the DQF consultation in "a meaningful and transparent way", and instead "intends to drive ahead with its planned schedule of cuts and its unreasonable timetable".

Should BBC staff vote in favour of industrial action, then this could disrupt programming in the December schedule, including potentially the Strictly final and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

DQF aims to make total savings of £670m a year by 2016/17 as the BBC faces up to its new licence fee settlement, which freezes the annual TV licence fee at £142.50 and imposes a series of additional funding responsibilities, including Welsh-language broadcaster S4C.

However, many staff have hit out at the proposed cuts, particularly local and regional broadcasting executives, who have dubbed the strategy "destroying quality forever".

The BBC Trust has launched a public consultation on the DQF proposals, but unions are concerned that some of the measures could be implemented before that concludes.

The NUJ, BECTU and Unite have said that balloting will close on November 24 and, if a yes vote is forthcoming, then strike action could go ahead at the beginning of December.

Michelle Stanistreet, the NUJ general secretary, said: "It is vital that any consultation process that takes place over such major cuts across the BBC is genuine and meaningful - the NUJ is not prepared to accept a fait accompli.

"These misguided cuts put the BBC's very future as a world-class public service broadcaster at stake. BBC executives and the Coalition government might not care about quality journalism and programming, but staff and members of the public care passionately about the Corporation's future. It will be up to all NUJ members and the wider public to fight for our BBC and I urge everyone to do all they can to support our campaign."

BECTU general secretary Gerry Morrissey added: "DQF threatens fundamental and far-reaching changes for all BBC staff; union officials are not prepared to negotiate with a gun to our heads.

"Without a change to the BBC's position, we are under no illusions that a vote for strike action will mark the start of a programme of industrial action which could affect the highlights of the BBC's autumn/winter schedule, including the Strictly Come Dancing finals and the Sports Personality of the Year awards."

In July, BBC News programmes were disrupted by industrial action after staff walked out in protest over compulsory redundancies at BBC World Service.

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: "We are fully committed to a constructive dialogue with the unions about flexibility allowances and our pay and grading structure. However we are at the earliest stage of talking these proposals through with our staff and have not even begun formal consultation with the trade unions."