Friday 5 November 2010

Support the BBC NUJ strike on Friday and Saturday this week

NUJ members are to strike in protest at plans to make them pay more, work longer and get significantly lower pensions. Please support NUJ members fighting for fair pensions at the BBC.
Journalists at the BBC stand to lose thousands of pounds every year under draconian new pension plans set to be imposed at the Corporation.

In response, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has announced dates for strike action. NUJ members will strike for 48 hours on 5/6 November and 15/16 November with further dates to be announced.

Union members will also refuse to take on additional duties or volunteer for acting up as part of an indefinite work to rule starting on Friday 5 November.

Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary said:
"Could you afford to simply give away £100,000, £25,000 or even ‘just’ £10,000? Of course not. But those are the kinds of sums every journalist faces losing under the BBC’s latest pension proposal. BBC journalists are not asking for higher pensions. They are not even saying they wouldn’t consider paying more or working longer for a fair pension settlement. That means a deal based on the real deficit in the scheme, not speculative and questionable figures. It means a pension which does not lose a significant part of its value every single year for the rest of their lives – which is what will happen under the current proposals. And it should be a deal that means what has been promised to them - which they have already paid for - is protected. The current offer fails those tests and it fails BBC staff. That’s why they’ve been left with no choice but to take industrial action on 5 and 6 November and 15 and 16 November. They can’t afford not to…and they need YOUR support"

How you can help

- Make a donation
Please make cheques payable to NUJ (mark on the back BBC Strike hardship fund) and send to NUJ General Secretary, Headland House, 308 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP.

- Send messages of support
Please email messages of support to campaigns@nuj.org.uk

- Join the picket lines
Please visit your local BBC centre to join the pickets on 5 and 6 November.

For further details of picket times/places email campaigns@nuj.org.uk

In London we are asking people to attend TV Centre, W12 at 12 noon.

- Invite a speaker
Contact your local BBC rep or campaigns@nuj.org.uk to arrange a speaker for your next meeting

- Keep up to date on developments
For all the latest information about the BBC disputekeep checking the BBC pensions robbery page of the NUJ website
- Attend public meetings in your area
Contact your local NUJ chapel or branch, trades council or TUC region for more details:
Trade Union Congress in the Regions
Directory of Trade Councils

- Use the NUJ strike solidarity leaflet
This leaflet is a call to support the NUJ strike and includes information about what you can do, please use it at your local meetings and events.

Support the NUJ BBC strike leaflet

NUJ and FBU Thursday 4 November evening meeting in London:

A public meeting in south London on the eve of the BBC and FBU strikes will be addressed by leading members of the unions involved: Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Becky Branford, BBC NUJ member who lives locally and Ian Leahair, from the national executive of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), will speak in the Salvation Army Hall, Princess Street, Elephant and Castle, SE1 6HH, at 7pm on Thursday 4 November.

The meeting has been organised by local campaign group Southwark Save Our Services.

We believe quality broadcasting and talented, hardworking staff are the BBC’s best assets. We are asking you to support our campaign to stop the pensions robbery and defend the BBC.

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