The National Union Of Journalists (NUJ) has warned the BBC that it could face coordinated strike action from five trade unions over its proposed pension scheme cutbacks.

Officials from the unions, which collectively represent the majority of BBC employees, yesterday told the corporation's management that they must give a firm guarantee by July 21 that the value of pensions already earned will be protected.

Should the BBC not provide assurances to the union's satisfaction, then they will ballot their members for strike action.

The threat follows the BBC's recently announced plans to close its final salary pension scheme to all new entrants and cap pensionable pay for existing members at 1% from April 2011.

From December 1, pension scheme members will also be given the choice of continuing to contribute to the final-salary scheme or transfer to a new defined-contribution plan.

In a statement, NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said that the move is "nothing short of a pensions' robbery" which has provoked "unprecedented anger and resentment" amongst BBC staff.

"While managers can look forward to gold-plated pensions, thousands of BBC staff will be left significantly worse off in retirement," he said.

"The BBC has broken its promises to staff and is undermining the value of people's pensions. The BBC must withdraw these proposals or face the prospect of widespread strike action and industrial unrest over the coming months.

"We remain committed to finding a negotiated settlement to address the BBC's pension shortfall - but not at the expense of the value of pensions already earned."

In response, a BBC spokesman said: "We know that staff have concerns about the proposed changes to the pension scheme, and we will listen and try to address these during the consultation period."

The BBC plans to run over 100 briefing sessions up the end of August to give employees the chance to air their grievances about the pension scheme cutbacks.

However, it emerged last week that an internal edition of Radio 4 programme Money Box on the pension changes has been ditched after management asked to vet its content.


By Andrew Laughlin, Technology Reporter

Source:-

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a247219/unions-warn-bbc-of-pension...