Bectu responds to BBC World Service proposals and job cuts

Responding to changes to BBC World Service announced today, including jobs at risk, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“Bectu is disappointed to see the proposed closures and changes to services announced today by the BBC World Service. While we recognise the BBC must adapt to meet the challenges of a changing media landscape, once again it is workers who are hit by the Government’s poorly-judged political decisions – its freezing of the licence fee and the resulting funding challenges has necessitated these proposals.

“As well as potential ramifications for the BBC’s reputation globally, these proposals will directly impact the talented and dedicated people who work hard to deliver critical news services to the nation and beyond. This is a challenging and uncertain time for our members and we will continue to fully engage with World Service over these proposals to do everything we can to support them.

“We will be seeking to ensure that the BBC redeploys staff where possible and that it mitigate the needs for any compulsory redundancies. It’s important that any changes position the BBC as strongly as possible for the future and deliver the best outcomes for its audiences and staff.”