NUJ branches and chapels oppose devastating BBC cuts
NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch and the Financial Times chapel have passed motions expressing solidarity with BBC workers and calling on the government to oppose largescale cuts.
On 18 July, the Birmingham & Coventry branch met to discuss how members across the union can play their part in the union's 'Back the BBC' campaign.
Georgina Morris, NUJ vice-president, chaired the meeting and John McDonnell, NUJ parliamentary group secretary, stayed for over 45 minutes to speak and listen to members.
McDonnell said that the union's parliamentary group will be writing to the new Prime Minister to emphasise the BBC's importance as an essential public service that affects quality of life and democracy in the UK.
The MP for Hayes and Harlington also spoke poignantly about the recent murder of a young Sikh woman, Kirandeep Kaur, who was stabbed to death in his constituency. He made the point that there had been an outpouring of speculative, inaccurate claims about the murder on social media. In the absence of local news titles in his constituency, McDonnell said the BBC was the only consistent source of accurate and authoritative reporting.
Morris then gave a detailed breakdown of the cuts, concentrating particularly on the initial 90 jobs targeted in BBC Local. The meeting heard from those working for the BBC that this would result in around 7.5 jobs lost per region. Members made the point that this mirrored the process in local and regional news publishing, where editorial teams had been hollowed out and the titles had become more distant to their communities.
The branch passed the following motion:
“NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch believes the BBC is facing a catastrophic funding crisis that threatens the quality of television and radio production. The planned £500m cuts at the national broadcaster over the next few years will massively impact both staff and freelance journalists - as well as the wider creative industry where the BBC acts as an anchor for quality journalism.
“The branch believes the BBC must continue its commitment to universality, providing news, sports, and arts coverage for all and that any future or additional funding must not compromise the BBC’s commitment to independence, impartiality, and universality.
“This branch supports the NUJ's campaign to win a long-term funding solution that is fair on the paying public but will also crucially preserve the quality of BBC output and its wider role in UK public life, culture and internationally.
“The branch calls on the government and MPs across the House to object to mass job cuts of BBC workers before Charter Renewal and to support the importance of the BBC and public service broadcasting with action.
“Birmingham & Coventry NUJ branch is committed to supporting closely those members locally affected by the BBC’s planned cuts in whatever way it can – and stands in solidarity with all union colleagues at the BBC.”
At a meeting on 16 July, the NUJ Financial Times chapel passed a similar motion:
“The FT chapel notes that the BBC is facing an existential funding crisis that could have a detrimental effect on the quality of television and radio production. Cuts to the BBC will have a huge impact on full-time and freelance journalists as well as the wider creative industry.
“We believe that it is vital that the BBC continues its commitment to universality, providing news, sports, and arts coverage for all and that any future or additional funding must not compromise the BBC’s commitment to independence, impartiality and universality.
“We support the NUJ's campaign for a long-term funding solution that will preserve the quality of BBC output and the wider role it plays in UK public life and culture and internationally.
"We call on the government and MPs across the House to object to mass job cuts of BBC workers before Charter Renewal and to support the importance of the BBC and public service broadcasting with action.
“We offer solidarity to our NUJ colleagues at the BBC and back them in any political and industrial action taken against cuts. We offer our support to those contract staff who have already been dismissed without consultation.”
Other NUJ branches wanting to consider similar motions to back the BBC and its workers can make use of the adaptable template wording below:
Protect jobs and programming at the BBC
“The NUJ [insert name] branch is alarmed by BBC management’s brutal plans to decimate around 2,000 jobs and valued programming as part of a 10% cost-cutting drive. This would be hugely damaging for BBC staff and freelances, as well as viewers, and communities across the UK.
“We note that these proposals - which follow over a decade of real-terms budget cuts and job losses - would severely undermine the BBC’s ability to fulfil its mission to inform, educate, and entertain the public. The broadcaster simply cannot provide quality journalism - locally, nationally, and internationally - without the dedicated workers who make it possible. The government must provide urgent intervention to stave off these cuts, and in the longer-term, protect and invest in all public service broadcasting.
“The NUJ [insert name] branch expresses solidarity with BBC workers and support for the union's 'Back the BBC’ campaign. The renewal of the BBC Charter offers an opportunity to secure the resources and reforms the BBC needs to provide a quality public service, free from political or commercial interference.
“We strongly encourage members to get involved in our campaign by writing to your MP and signing our joint union petition to show solidarity with colleagues and demonstrate collective support for a properly funded, representative and independent BBC.”