Bectu warns BBC job cuts will be devastating for workforce and public service mission

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs, responding to news of around 2,000 job cuts at the BBC, said:

“Cuts of this magnitude will be devastating for the workforce and to the BBC as a whole.

“The BBC has faced funding cuts over the last decade with real terms income from the licence fee down £1.3bn – further cuts of this scale will inevitably damage its ability to deliver on its public mission.

“BBC staff are already under significant pressure after previous redundancies and Bectu will be engaging with the BBC to fully understand the implications of these cuts. This will also inevitably impact the wider creative industries ecosystem, given the BBC’s crucial anchor role in commissioning content and nurturing talent.

“At a time of fake news and an industry that is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations, the UK needs a confident, ambitious and sustainably-funded BBC more than ever.

“The Government must ensure that Charter Renewal puts the BBC’s funding on a more secure, long-term pathway and prevent our national broadcaster facing death by a thousand cuts.