BBC strike dates confirmed
Staff at the BBC are set to walk out in May and June in protest at increased outsourcing and plans to cut 4,000 jobs.
The first walk out will be for 24 hours on May 23, followed by another 48-hour strike will also take place on May 31st and June 1st in protest at plans to cut 3,780 jobs and privatise parts of the corporation.
A fourth day of action will be considered at a later date to create the maximum impact with what broadcasting union Bectu earlier described as “black screens and dead air”.
The BBC’s stock of pre-recorded programmes would mean that audiences would notice little differences in regular programming, but live events could see severe disruption.
The strike will not clash with the FA Cup final on May 21 but other British institutions such as the Chelsea Flower Show at the end of May are likely to be disrupted.
National news services and shows such as BBC One’s Breakfast show and Wednesday’s midweek lottery draw will probably be affected, as will radio and online output.
