BECTU

Speaking to the Press Association, head of BECTU, Gerry Morrissey, made revelations of his own, asking why the union had met with resistance to its claim for a minimum BBC salary of PS20,000, first tabled in 2016, when many senior executives are paid in excess of PS300,000 a year?

"We're therefore working with BECTU to investigate the issues raised and establish the facts as a matter of urgency."

The BBC has said it is moving its Training and Human Resources departments to Birmingham, but BECTU says any new jobs will not replace programme makers and production departments who have left.

A BBC spokesman said, "We're surprised that the NUJ and Bectu have chosen to ballot their members over a number of new issues without formally meeting with us first to discuss them.

Strike action - if approved - could start from May 22, Bectu said yesterday.

BECTU said management had promised that, wherever possible, job cuts would be achieved through voluntary means.

Future West End negotiations with Bectu will, like those at the the National, be based on voluntary agreements by individual members.

BBC staff have voted to accept a deal which averts strike action, the union Bectu said.

The National Union of Journalists and broadcasting workers union Bectu warned the corporation it must hold "meaningful" negotiations over the "savage" cuts.

Gerry Morrissey, assistant general secretary of the broadcasting workers' union Bectu, said he would seek urgent talks with the BBC.

IA: It's no secret that the trade union BECTU stands in firm opposition to the deal - and its members make up a quarter of BBC Technology's workforce.