NUJ to ballot BBC journalists for strike action next week

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The National Union of Journalists has announced it will ballot for industrial action over compulsory redundancies at the BBC.

According to the union thousands of journalists at the broadcaster will be balloted, with around 100 journalists across the World Service, BBC Monitoring, Online, and Scotland and Wales said to be facing compulsory redundancy.

Cuts in funding for the BBC mean around 650 jobs within the World Service are at risk, as well as 360 within BBC Online and 50 in BBC Monitoring , with 100 of those said to be compulsory redundancies.

"For months we have been negotiating with the BBC and have been able to resolve most cases by agreement," NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said in a release from the union. "But the BBC's refusal to consider workable alternatives for around 100 staff has left us with no choice but to ballot members for industrial action to defend jobs and services. There is no justification for these compulsory redundancies."

The ballot will be held next week.

In a statement the BBC "we remain committed to discussions with unions, and do not believe that industrial action is necessary".