BBC NI cuts: NUJ members vote on strike action

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at BBC Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of potential strike action over planned cuts to jobs and programmes.

In a consultative ballot, 89% voted for strike action and 95% for action short of strike on a 77% turnout.

However, a formal ballot of NUJ members would have to be held before any industrial action could be taken.

A BBC spokesman said conversations with affected staff and unions were ongoing.

BBC Northern Ireland (BBC NI) is planning to close 36 posts in an attempt to make £2.3m of savings and invest more money in online services.

It said it hoped “the majority” of post closures would be achieved through voluntary redundancy.

But eight news staff are at risk of redundancy in BBC Radio Foyle as the Breakfast Show and hourly news bulletins are set to be cut under the plans.

The BBC Director General Tim Davie recently said that the cuts to programming and jobs at Radio Foyle were a “painful saving”.

In January 2022, the then Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries froze the BBC licence fee at £159 for two years.

As a whole, the BBC has said it has to make £500m in annual savings.

Politicians from a number of parties in the north west of Northern Ireland recently met BBC management in London to discuss the proposed cuts.

The BBC has been consulting staff and unions on the proposals, but the NUJ has said it has “submitted counter proposals which we believe could protect this output”.

The union also said the ballot was about “protecting public service broadcasting in the whole of Northern Ireland.”