BBC to hold talks with unions amid strike threats
The NUJ and other unions have threatened to stage strikes unless the broadcaster's plans to change its pension schemes are scrapped
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The BBC will hold talks with staff unions tomorrow to discuss the broadcaster's proposed pension changes.
The NUJ announced yesterday that the broadcaster could face coordinated strike action by five unions unless it guarantees at a meeting tomorrow that the value of pensions already earned would be protected and plans to change the staff pension scheme were dropped, but the BBC has remained adamant that a 90-day consultation period will go ahead as planned.
"We are committed to consulting fully with staff about the proposed changes to the pension scheme," a spokesperson told Journalism.co.uk. "There will be a 90 day consultation period, during which the BBC will have over 120 face to face sessions with senior managers who will feed back staff opinions and concerns."
The pension proposals include closing the final salary scheme to newcomers and capping the growth of pensionable salaries of existing members to one per cent. Last month the NUJ accused the BBC of a "pensions robbery" and said if the proposals were not dropped, thousands of BBC staff would be balloted for strike action by the NUJ, Bectu, Unite, Equity and Musicians Union.
After talks between BBC staff unions and the broadcaster collapsed, the NUJ said strike action looked increasingly likely.
"The BBC has broken its promises to staff and is undermining the value of people’s pensions," NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said in a release. "The BBC must withdraw these proposals or face the prospect of widespread strike action and industrial unrest over the coming months. We remain committed to finding a negotiated settlement to address the BBC’s pensions shortfall – but not at the expense of the value of pensions already earned."
