THE NUJ and BECTU have condemned the BBC’s plans to cut around 2,000 jobs.
The NUJ is urging the broadcaster to meaningfully engage workers and trade unions and reconsider its proposals.
In an all-staff meeting at 3pm Wednesday (15 April), BBC management said that between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs, about one in ten, could be cut across various departments. In February, the corporation announced a further 10% cut to its total costs by the end of 2028-29.
In the meeting management also outlined spending reductions, including on travel, attending external events, and commissioning freelances, in addition to controls on recruitment.
NUJ members have already reported a reduction in the number of freelance shifts across production teams, and lack of recruitment into vacant posts. The NUJ has raised concerns to the BBC about the impact these changes have on already overworked journalists.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said: ‘Plans for more brutal job cuts are wrong, damaging and will cause uncertainty and distress for workers at the BBC.
‘The union condemns these plans. Charter Renewal provides a huge opportunity to guarantee the BBC’s future for generations to come.
‘The NUJ’s “Back the BBC” campaign has called for increased funding, worker representation on the BBC board, and real independent governance.
‘The NUJ is sounding the alarm and calling on government and the new director general to pay attention and take action to stop these damaging cuts and listen to the views of audiences, workers and their unions. The BBC belongs to all of us and we need to fight for it.’
Head of BECTU, Philippa Childs, said: ‘Cuts of this magnitude will be devastating for the workforce and to the BBC as a whole.
‘The BBC has faced funding cuts over the last decade with real terms income from the licence fee down £1.3bn – further cuts of this scale will inevitably damage its ability to deliver on its public mission.
‘BBC staff are already under significant pressure after previous redundancies. This will also inevitably impact the wider creative industries ecosystem, given the BBC’s crucial anchor role in commissioning content and nurturing talent.
‘The government must ensure that Charter Renewal puts the BBC’s funding on a more secure, long-term pathway and prevent our national broadcaster facing death by a thousand cuts.’