nuj broadcasting blog

Strike day at Bush House

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Short film about the death of a newspaper

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:43:00 +0000

Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Spent the day sorting out a power cut at home, having to be resourceful to get keep the laptop and mobile charged up. Spent some of the time preparing for the upcoming strike ballot at the BBC. Our members are to be balloted because the BBC is seeking to force through a number of compulsory redundancies. It's an unnecessary act. They have the scale and financial stability to manage budget changes and job cuts in a sensible way. We have been successful in forcing the BBC to spend its money wisely, not wasting it on redundancy payments. On an average week, the BBC is recruiting for over 200 jobs. To try and force through a handful of redundancies is madness. It hasn't come to a ballot for some years. At a time when the industry is facing serious issues, no-one should be forced out of a job if it can be avoided.

South Asia strike ballot begins

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Ballot papers go out today to NUJ members of the World Service South Asia Services. They have been engaged in a long running battle against offshore outsourcing. John McDonnell spoke in parliament about the issues, although it's quite a long extract I think it gives a good account of what we are dealing with;

16 Dec 2008 : 10.14 am

John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab): I am a Member of
Parliament for a multicultural west London constituency. A number of
my constituents work at the BBC and some in the World Service, and
most have a direct interest in it.

Kofi Annan called the BBC World Service the best gift to the world
from London. Some of us worry that that gift is under the threat of
diminution by the policies of the BBC management. The outgoing
director of the World Service, Nigel Chapman, said that he wanted to
outsource at least 50 per cent. of World Service programming to the
respective countries. That sounds like any other outsourcing, but it
threatens the quality, standards and objectivity of the broadcast
service. The World Service is an independent international broadcaster
and is famous for the refrain, "This is London calling." Without the
geographical distance, it ceases to be independent.

Members of the National Union of Journalists and the Broadcasting
Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union from the south Asia
region of the World Service are campaigning to save three language
services that are under threat from plans to offshore their jobs and
the output. The BBC Hindi, Urdu and Nepali services will be seriously
undermined if those plans go ahead. Staff have resisted the plans for
over a year and through negotiations have sought an agreement that
preserves the fundamental World Service principles: quality, integrity
and, above all else, independence. Those talks are ongoing but seem
likely to stall this week as management wants to forge ahead with its
plans without agreement.

Under management proposals, editorial control will be ceded from the
UK in favour of localised output in Nepal, India and Pakistan.
Questions have been raised over the BBC's ability to retain editorial
independence. Staff discovered a deal struck with the Pakistan
regulatory body to give authorities in Islamabad the power to hear
bulletins prior to broadcast. Although the management claim that no
such arrangement exists, it is important that nothing is done that
jeopardises the BBC's editorial independence. Those allegations
warrant further investigation and there should be an independent
Foreign Office investigation.

The reputation of the World Service has been built over decades.
Millions of listeners rely upon the World Service because they trust
it to be an independent voice. Localising editorial control in
countries such as Pakistan and Nepal will bring unacceptable pressures
to staff in those territories. While we believe that all BBC staff
will fight to maintain its independence, it is in the strong interests
of the BBC to ensure that its staff can act free from external
influence. That is difficult enough even in this country with the
constant political pressure. The threats are more direct from foreign
Governments in some areas of the globe.

The BBC has set up private companies in India, Pakistan and Nepal that
pave the way for localised commercial businesses. Such businesses will
have to comply with local commercial law and will not be governed from
the UK, as they are now. The NUJ and BECTU have been asking for
details of those companies and their planned and present activities.
Management has thus far failed to give any meaningful information or
assurances. If the BBC offshores not only output but editorial control
to overseas territories, that too will have to comply with local media
regulation. The fear is that the freedom of the press is variable in
such territories, and that that will impact on World Service output.

Staff who have served the BBC and the country well for decades are
anxious that their professionalism and independence is under threat.
If we do not act now and if the Government do not take a serious
interest in this matter, we will live to regret it in future years.
There must be a review of the policy of localising editorial control
and an end to the dismantling of the World Service in certain parts of
the globe, which we have seen over recent years. The Thai service is
just one example of where we have lived to regret the withdrawal of a
service in a key part of the world. It must be asserted that editorial
control over World Service output will be retained in the UK and there
must be an end to outsourcing in this way. Any job losses in the UK
need to be negotiated to ensure that at least there is no compulsory
redundancy or loss of editorial integrity and that BBC management goes
forward with the wholehearted support of employees and the confidence
of the wider community.

BBC NUJ members prepare for strike ballot

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Letter to ALL MEMBERS AT THE BBC
Colleagues

You will have seen the announcement concerning senior managers and pay. Whilst we welcome pay restraint at the very top and have been calling for it for many years, for many the announcement will be seen as too little, too late. Particularly, as the executive board recently were awarded consolidated increases on their basic pay of more than 30%. Some within the wider senior manager group (our members, for example) are deserving of an increase however, the Union does not currently have negotiating rights for this group of workers.

Following a meeting of our reps across the BBC, the Joint Unions have submitted our pay claim for this year. We are clear that we are seeking a significant increase for all members within grades 2-11. The claim is for an across the board payment of £1,800, this means that the increase will significantly help those at the lower end of the pay scale. Amongst other things, management is proposing an increase of employee contributions to the pension scheme of 0.75% in April of this year. The Union has been given no justification for the proposed increase and we know that the scheme is generally in good health. Any increases in pension contributions should be shared by the employer and the employees. We have indicated we wish to conclude our negotiations with the BBC on pay and pensions prior to April 2009 for pay increases due in August 2009.

Over the last several months, the Union has had to intensify its campaign to continue to avoid compulsory redundancies of members at the BBC. Your representatives, the M/FoCs have continued to affirm the mandate that we will take all available steps including balloting our entire membership across the BBC if management seek to enforce compulsory redundancy on our members. Thus far, we have been successful and have been able to reach agreements avoiding compulsory redundancies. However, last night talks broke down concerning the threat of compulsory redundancies in BBC Scotland. Management there are hell bent on pressing ahead with compulsory redundancy. We offered solutions that would allow us to continue to work through the issues, as we have elsewhere. However management refused and are now intending to begin compulsory selection of NUJ members. BBC Scotland has suffered from bad managerial decisions. A boom and bust approach has been taken, initially, overspending on new premises and technology at Pacific Quay. Now our members are being asked to bear the brunt of the overspend. On the same day that the Director General talks about one of his main priorities being increasing spend on network production from the Nations, management threatens to make more than twenty television programme makers redundant. This takes the lack of joined up thinking in management to new levels. We are also facing the prospect of compulsory redundancies in BBC World Service, where management are trying to offshore production and jobs to South Asia, losing editorial control from Bush House and forcing members out of work unnecessarily.

The Union is calling on management to take a step back. However, we are also beginning the preparations for an industrial action ballot of all BBC members. We will update you on this in the next few days and let you know when to expect your ballot paper. At a time when an organisation with the scale of the BBC has guaranteed additional funding, there is no excuse for the compulsory redundancies among programme makers.

We know that when we have called on the membership to support members under threat, you have always risen to the challenge. It is important you do so again. We will keep you updated as to events as they unfold.

Regards Paul
Paul McLaughlin
National Broadcasting Organiser
NUJ

BBC World Service South Asia strike ballot

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:58:00 +0000

Text of a letter to BBC World Service members:

South Asia restructure - offshoring of production and staff
To all NUJ Members at World Service

Colleagues

I am writing to update you on the developing situation concerning World Service proposals to offshore jobs and production overseas in the Hindi, Urdu and Nepali services.

The NUJ has been in negotiations for some time concerning managements proposals. They form part of a wider strategy, within World Service management, to offshore more than 50% of production overseas.

The NUJ has raised concerns about this, not just from the point of view of members jobs, but also asking how editorial authority and impartiality would be maintained if the BBC shifts its editorial focus overseas, and crucially, out of Bush House where it has resided for more than seventy years.

The proposals for the South Asia services represent a significant shift away from London, both in terms of production and in terms of editorial control. During last year, we discovered that the arrangements for broadcasting within Pakistan where not sufficient to guarantee editorial control, and will remain concerned that non-BBC staff ,working for commercial limited companies overseas ( such as BBC India Ltd, etc), under questionable regulatory and political regimes, may not be able to uphold the BBC's hallmark of quality and impartiality.

During the course of our negotiations some changes where discussed however, these did provide sufficient guarantees in terms of production as outlined above, nor has there been any guarantee in terms of ruling out compulsory redundancy for staff in these areas.

Members roundly rejected managements plans in a consultative postal ballot returned by nearly 90% of members. World Service management have now decided to try and press ahead with its plans without the agreement of the staff involved or the NUJ.

In response to the this, the Union has issued notice to the BBC of our intention to ballot members, in this area, for strike action. Whilst this is something we do not do lightly, members feel it is a necessary step to protect the BBC's ability to remain impartial and to prevent management from imposing unacceptable solutions on our members.

The ballot will begin on Friday of this week and will end on Friday the 13th February 2009.

We will keep you updated. Please forward messages of support to Rajesh Priyadarshi rajeshpriyadarshi@gmail.com

Paul McLaughlin
National Broadcasting Organiser
National Union of Journalists

ITV BBC partnership

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:17:00 +0000

In a sign of increasing desperation, ITV is now apparently pinning its hopes on a partnership with the BBC to safeguard the future of regional news on the channel. The newly promoted director of News and Sport, Micheal Jermey has written to staff stating that the partnership idea is now 'ITV's preferred option for the future'. This is worrying news for a number of reasons; The announcement by the BBC late last year, looked like a back-of-a-fag-packet job; a poor attempt at diverting the heat over top-slicing. It follows previous initiatives such as the 3sixty media partnership which was a disaster, especially for the staff who transferred into an ill-conceived venture. The new idea now seems to be playing a part in ITV's political manoeuvring as the end game for PSB takes shape. Many staff both at the BBC and ITV are opposed to the move as ill-thought out, unworkable and counter-intuitive. At a time when many members at ITV are losing their jobs, the thought of BBC staff providing the material that ITV journalists once produced leaves a pretty sour taste in the mouth.

These pigeons are freeeezing

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:31:00 +0000

These pigeons are freeeezing
Originally uploaded by paulm.nuj01

A bunch of them huddled together, too cold to move. i knew how they felt.

Mixed messages

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:43:00 +0000

A couple of contrasting bits of news today, BERR the Government's business department is consulting on forcing Sky to sell some of its stake in ITV, meanwhile, according to the Media Guardian, the Government's Digital Britain paper, is likely to recommend removing regulation that governs and restricts local cross-media ownership. The Sky decision was an usual one; this Government hasn't shown itself to be keen on standing up to anything connected with Rupert Murdoch, I guess having Branson weighing in with the financial and legal muscle must have helped. This says much for the system of regulation in the UK, in that, at the end of the day, as in all things, money talks, it would seem. The relaxation of media regulation as a means to help troubled newspapers, would be a knee-jerk reaction to the real economic problems facing the industry and is not the answer. Much is expected of Carter's paper but if this is anything to go by, it could be a poor effort.

wordle of delicious bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:15:00 +0000

ITV talks to continue Monday

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:12:00 +0000

The NUJ ballot for strike aciton at ITV is due to begin on Monday. Both sides have agreed to last minute talks to see if a dispute can be avoided. Press Gazette story here.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Increasingly bizarre claims from ITV Chief; My personal favourite being the fact that staff are suprisingly upbeat about changes to ITV regional news.

Bonfire of the vanities

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Yesterdays comments by ITV chief Exec and Charmian M Grade must feel like a knife through the heart for those who work on the commercial broadcasters regional news service. Ofcom has already paved the way for mass redundancies across the regional map and the destruction of the local news proposition. He now threatens those who will remain with 'outsoucing' - here

It's such a bad job it makes Mr on-digital, Charles Allen look good. As the share price tanks and staff lose all faith, far from being the saviour of ITV it looks like the current chief may well preside over its destruction.

bad day for news

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Ofcom has finally published its plans for ITV and the future of Public Service Broadcasting. The launch was not as slick as usual, for some reason no-one at the briefing was given a copy of the report and had to rely on a few hastily photocopied sheets - a good start for the communications regulator. As the plans emerged it went downhill from there. ITV to be allowed to butcher its regional news service, cut back to virtually nil its regional non news output. The cheery news is not confined to ITV, both the BBC and Channel Four will suffer, a slice of licence fee hived off, and a half hearted commitment to a sustainable model for C4 all adds up to a bit of a mess. We are meeting ITV in the coming days and planning our resistance in order to try and save ITV from itself and an old style, non-regulatory regulator.

World Service Arabic Service Dispute

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Talks continue at the World Service over the Arabic Service. Members concerns have been ignored for months as a result a vote for strike action was supported by over 80% of members. We have been in talks this week with the aim of averting a strike. A chapel meeting was held on Friday afternoon following protracted negotiations on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There will be further developments in the next few days.

My favourite post, so far, on the dispute is here. There are gems all over the site.

BBC Editorial double standards

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:37:00 +0000

New guidelines issued by the BBC Trust today aim to improve the arrangements for handling editorial complaints by members of the public. But the balance has shifted too far in favour of complainants. The guidelines say that the public can expect a response within ten days, yet the average time spent by BBC management in dealing with a grievance by a member of staff is 112 days. We have seen problems recently for NUJ members who have faced disciplinary procedures as a result of alleged breaches of editorial policy brought on by complaints from outside bodies or individuals. In one case, the management decided to move to a disciplinary hearing prior to even investigating the matter. Members are exposed to double jeopardy; they can be found guilty of a disciplinary offence and face criticism as a result of the complaints unit or even the BBC Trust. Since Hutton and the internal navel gazing that followed, BBC management have sought to use the disciplinary procedures against journalists who are accused of editorial breeches. External complaints need to be taken seriously however, guilt should not be the presumed. Powerful bodies and individuals will complain relentlessly. It is the job of BBC management to protect its journalism and journalists, ensuring such complaints are treated only with the seriousness they deserve and not to the detriment of staff or output. The same rigour should apply when dealing with complaints by members of staff.

Disputes at the BBC

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:26:00 +0000

Two chapel meetings today: BBC World Service Arabic Service and BBC Worldwide. The first was held in the new Broadcasting House, as the service is based across the road in refurbished Egton House. We are currently consulting over a dispute with twelve separate elements, including everything from holidays to rotas. This was the second of two chapel meetings convened to consider the proposals; four hours in total and still none the wiser. Then over to W12 to woodlands for Radio Times (and others mags). They have just rejected a below inflation pay offer and today unanimously decided to take action. A ballot will begin in seven days and action could commence to coincide with their move into new premises.

out and about

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:11:00 +0000

Another busy day today, starting with discussions over Red Bee pay and conditions; They are proposing a pay cut in real terms as well as seeking to exclude some workers from any pay rise at all, nice. Negotiations over a personal case followed by some further discussions with members, then down to World Service to participate in the flower protest; meet members of the Romanian service, following the announcement yesterday of the proposed closure of the service; finally negotiations over the World Service South Asia offshore outsourcing.

BBC news and current affairs

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Vivian White explains unexpected developments at our meeting with management over potential compulsory redundancies in BBC News.

ITN talks and talks and more talks

noreply@blogger.com (ldavison) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:26:00 +0000

Dan Wright, Paul Carter and Graham Heslop at Acas on 5/6th June. Fifteen hours of negotiations culminates in a deal which will be put to members on Tuesday. Part of madly busy week which included four post midnight finishes, sadly all due to work.

To see photos from the day/night click here

http://picasaweb.google.com/nujlaura/ITNNegotiationsAtACAS

What's a Jonathan Ross worth?

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Speaking about salaries of top stars on Richard Bacon's five live programme Monday night ten o'clock - and looking like its past my bedtime.

should we trust the Trust?

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:15:00 +0000

Last weeks BBC Trust report into online revealed some shocking truths about the state of the BBC and the reactions from commercial rivals have been predictable. In an era of cheese pairing penny pinching across the corporation, to be £38 million pounds adrift takes some doing. Successive Director Generals have altered the structures of the organisation. Like a football manager, a new DG will change the team and mold it in his image. Each DG has the outward aim of improving the function pf the organisation. Each with the inner aim of harnessing the vast body into a shape that he can control and, like an Elizabethan court, this involves favourites being promoted and others being sent to the tower. Greg Dyke's flatter management led to more than twenty divisions, each with a seat on the management board; an unwieldy group who don't need reminding that they presided over the events surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly. The BBC that Mark Thompson inherited was a product of these events. Many of the structural changes that Thompson has brought in have centralised functions that had previously been devolved to the various divisions. However it still often appears as a multi-headed beast with little or no internal discipline.

Part of the landscape inherited by the current DG was the perceived need for greater external regulation. Previous governance was seen to be too close to BBC management. Ofcom was waiting in the wings, and privately, would have been pleased to have control of the BBC. The fix for this supposed problem was the creation of the BBC Trust. Although quiet in its first few months, it has now shown to take itself very seriously. It is a common joke at the BBC that the BBC Trust is the BBC's biggest growth area. Bit by bit the Trust has set up its own structures mirroring the BBC's. So there is a committee looking at finance, editorial issues, commercial issues and so on. They scrutinise BBC management plans and set the financial parameters; When the chairman of the BBC wrote directly to staff to give an update over impending cuts, many saw this as crossing an important line. Now they commission external consultants to tell them where management is going wrong. As a result the BBC is now effectively being run by a shadow government in Marlebone High Street. Important lessons can be learnt from the experiences of Future Media and Technology and the BBC's inability to properly supervise its own activities, however, a BBC reliant on, or influenced by, any external body, BBC Trust included, must be bad, not only for business but for the future stability and function of the BBC.

death to the mobile phone

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:36:00 +0000

Cell Phones Are Evil - back from leave W/C 2nd June

stray fags?: call the smoking police

noreply@blogger.com (pmclaughlin) — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:48:00 +0000

Anyone who deals with the BBC will know how unusual it is. There are few organisations that would publish a booklet about how to get through a revolving door. Today we had one of many surreal meetings that could only happen at the beeb. One or two highlights from a very long list; 'policy simplification', a process, not to be confused with making things easier to understand; regarding the security (or lack of it) at BBC buildings, they promised to share a recent report into the subject however they would have to remove all the bits concerned with security; finally, a smoker on the Union side asked what action was being taken to ensure that smokers only smoke in designated areas- we could offer a simple solution - appoint a team of enforcers, the smoking police. They could easily offer these jobs to the people they are currently trying to sack, for the added bonus of killing two birds with the same stone.

Flower Power

noreply@blogger.com (ldavison) — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Today saw the public launch of our campaign protesting about BBC plans to off-shore its staff in large sections of the World Service. A big crowd turned out to tie flowers to the railings of Bush house as part of a peaceful protest asking the BBC to re-think its plans. NUJ rep Mike Workman was there. See photos from the day here.