BBC Union to Strike on Olympics Opening Weekend

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 23, 2004 - 4:42am.

London -- U.K. broadcasting union Bectu said on Friday that it plans to go on strike on July 30-31 and Aug. 13-14, dates that respectively coincide with horse racing events and the opening of the Olympic Games in Greece. The decision to strike comes in protest of the proposed $3.7 billion sale of the BBC's Technology unit to German IT service giant Siemens. Bectu members currently comprise about a fourth of BBC's Technology's 1,400 employees, and the union said it believes the BBC will be "hard-pressed" to continue normal service during the strike. However, John Varney, head of technology at the BBC, said his company has prepared several contingency plans. "We do not expect a problem with the Olympics or anything else," he said. "These are things that are set up days or weeks in advance, and a short stoppage by Bectu members would not disrupt output." Bectu, which is calling for a three-year guarantee on current conditions and a pay increase of 2.5% above inflation, complains that consultation is being rushed in order to make the Sept. 1 sale target date.
http://www.bectu.org.uk/news/bbc/nb0221.html