BBC Braces For “Hard Moment” As 1,000 Staff Stage Biggest Strike In 13 Years
deadline.comBBC employees will stage their biggest strike in 13 years today as they walk out in protest over job losses and changes to local content.
Around 1,000 National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members are expected to down tools for 24 hours from 11AM local time and the BBC has acknowledged that it will be a difficult day.
In an email to staff obtained by Deadline, Jason Horton, the BBC’s Director of Production for local services, said it would be a “hard moment for everyone” and urged people to treat each other with “kindness and respect.” The strike is expected to disrupt the BBC’s coverage of the government’s Budget, a setpiece moment in the UK political calendar in which ministers are expected to maintain support for energy bills and potentially introduce free childcare.
The BBC walkout comes on a day of widespread industrial action in the UK, with teachers, doctors, London Underground, and university workers set to go on strike.
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