An example of union hostility against people who want to do their jobs

davidk

Let me understand this: the BBC refusenik journalists have been balloted and their point of view didn't prevail, so now they want to take their ball home?

Got it.

ajs

By their words ye shall know them..not of course anywhere within 100 leagues of political connection. What a shower. Sad that the great BBC should die like a noble dog in a ditch, uncared for, due to its pampered staff. They brought it on themselves; believed they were unassailable; didn't reckon with their own stupidity.
I add my name to those who will not pay the tax (licence fee) and am ready to take up arms (metaphorically of course, in case it upsets them) against any sent to demand it.

sinosimon

the impartiality of the bbc......hahahahahhhahahahahhahahahha.....you get the idea. the day jim naughtie refers to the coaltion as 'we' i'll start to believe in the much vaunted balance. what a sick joke.

Woody

On reading these comments - my gob is smacked and my jaw is dropped!

Rhoda Klapp

I think I can anticipate the concern of coffee housers that the BBC might be unable to show the tory conference. How about a bottle of your best virtual champagne for the most sarcastic comment?

Yow Min Lye

So this could be the first Twitter/YouTube/Facebook party conference?

Un-PC social worker

what a deeply unpleasant and insulting letter in response to legitimate concerns. But as Channel 4 Dispatches programme showed earlier this week, bullying is what union reps and officers do, with impunity

Andre

If it hastens the end of the Israel-bashing,
Sarah Kennedy sacking, pro-Islamist, anti-Christian BBC then I am right behind the strike. Missing coverage of the Tory conference is a small price to pay. How will we fill the time?

BigAl

BBC please go on strike. It will mean a more balanced reporting of the news and will bring forward you demise.

GOODBYE

libertarian

Back in the 1970's I was a shop steward in the TGWU. My union called for industrial action that I didn't agree with. In those days they didn't bother with a ballot but even if they had and the vote had been in favour I would still have taken the same action. I quit the union and joined an alternative.

BBC political staff, grow some balls. You spend your life sneering at us the workers yet you lack the spine to even stand up for yourselves

strapworld

Andre, you forgot Jimmy Young!

HFC

D'ya know? I think having no BBC - Tv or radio - for a week or two would be a very good thing. Especially if it resulted in the strike ringleaders, high profile sympathisers and camp-followers being dismissed. For ever.

Helen

One wonders why they didn't strike during the Miliband of Brothers Conference.

Or would tha be biting the [Union financing] hand that feeds it?

If the Tories don't sort out the bigoted and prejudicial, not to mention highly paid BBC staff after this, then what's the point of them?

JohnPage

James, you do not reference the BBC website's own report, which seems to have gone up before your piece, where the NUJ reps blithely say:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11443277

"The dates were chosen by elected reps because they are major broadcast events and for no other reason."

Yes, the Tory conference and George Osborne's spending review announcement.

Right. The union must think we are REALLY stupid.

Neil Turner

I listened the other day to the delighted tones of 5Live's Victoria Derbyshire covering a Q & A session at the Labour Conference

I am no longer a Tory, since the Cameron era, but any fool can hear the difference in the manner that Labour's "New Generation" is covered, compared to those who are on the Right

It's time the BBC was outed

glenlivetguy

Can someone please explain to those who dont have final salary pension schemes funded by everyone who has a TV and is not 75 plus, exactly what superb benefits the BBC staff will still get even after these minor savings.These BBC folk are living in a world so far removed from the rest of us.

Holly ......

Let the strike go ahead.
Who will it damage the most?
The BEEB?
The unions,who now own the 'New Generation Labour party'?
The Conservatives?
The viewer?
Still trying to 'get one over' on the Tories
Please continue.
It is now in THEIR interest it goes ahead.
BRING IT ON stupid!

Tanuki

The evilbastard in me is thinking that perhaps the Tories should follow the likes of the FA and the 20/20 cricket people and appoint an 'official broadcaster to the party conference' - let's say ITN or Sky - then shut the Beeb out altogether.

Mal

Disgraceful intimidation. I do not see anywhere the facts that pension benefits already earned cannot be changed. Or that an ageing population, coupled with punitive government actions since 1997 have made defined benefit pensions unaffordable. These changes have already swept through the private sector - with those nearest to retirement the least affected. Everybody else just has to get used to something different.

The idea that sections of the public sector should be protected from the realities of life - and that this should be paid for by others - is just greed. Very socialist..............

Oldsnowy

sadly, pensions once earned CAN be removed - I'm a civil servant, and that is just what the govt is planning to do. I won't get into an arguement about this - please just note that they can and will use primary legislation to remove pension entitlement.

David Booth

Let them strike, the BBC political coverage will not be missed.
And as for the coincidence of the Union calling the strike during the Tory Party Conference, the words: Foot.
In.
The.
Shot.
just about sums up the situation.

Dimoto

Absolutely, imagine, a political conference without (snide) comment from Marr, Toe Nails, Dimblebore, etc ! Bliss !

This has the potential to be a bigger misfire than Brown's famous visit to the troops in Iraq.

Can it go on for the full four days please ?

Anna

Were I a cynic, I might question whether this apparent tender concern for political impartiality were merely a cover for outraged ego. Imagine! The moronic viewing public may be deprived of the opportunity to have its perception of proceedings properly directed by those wise BBC journos.

Clear Memories

Let's be perfectly clear - the BBC no longer has a reputation for impartiality, this proposed strike action just confirms the anti-Tory, anti-middle class, anti-white, pro-gay bias of said organisation.

Let them go ahead and black out the screens. Then perhaps this semi-spineless government will scrap the iniquitous viewing tax and leave the BBC to stagger off into obscurity, taking its bigoted staff with it.

Dimoto

The letter in the Mail, from the journalists says:
"The strike risks looking unduly partisan".
In other words, if it's just plain "partisan" it's OK.
Or as long as it doesn't "look" unduly partisan, then that too is OK ....

maddy1

Surely this is one for the surgeon's knife we could save an absolute fortune here.

TomTom

If only we had Fox to give the BBC some flak

Paul Hawkins

What's Red Ed's take on this? Will he stand up to the unions? Sorry must shut the window in case pigs fly by.

Roger Davies

Seriously how can anyone in this digital age argue for a State Broadcaster funded by a TV Tax? The fact that this particular State Broadcaster the BBC is biased from top to bottom is another matter.
I would vote for an early privatisation.

RL54

The timing is impeccable. Anything that shows what a complete load of morons there are in this union will only further denigrate the shoddy reputation most unions and their moronic leaders now enjoy. Strike on mate - show solidarity with all the other wasters who want something for nothing

dapplegrey

So what if they strike during the Tory conference. There are plenty of other channels on which to watch it.

Vulture

James Forsyth says the BBC has a reputation for impartiality!

In the words of the Duke of Wellington to the man who addressed him as 'Mr Jones' : "Sir, if you believe that, you will believe anything".

Even the DG Mark Thompson says the BBC has an indelible left-wing bias.

Cut the license fee and kill this bastion of state-subsidised socialism dead.

Stuart Seacole Smith

So this might "undermine the corporation's reputation for impartiality..." erm, wot? baking powder? exqueeze me? Who on earth are they trying to kid?

I reckon Anna at 11.08 nailed it. This has got to be more about their egos than any real wish for impartiality. They'll also be squirming at the prospect of missed opportunities to ridicule, belittle and deliberately mis-represent Conservative policies. Poor lambs.

And I absolutely loved the union rep's presumption of motive in the 3rd para from the end. Priceless!

Anyway, another nail (hopefully) in Al Beebeera's coffin.

alexsandr

no BBC for a week
do we get a refund of 1/52 of our licence fee?
No?
thought not
Robbing bastards

OFCOM's pet poodle

If the BBC is sincere about it's charter directive to be impartial, then they should pull all coverage of political party conferences immediately; if they cant show one, dont show any. The BBC would be impartial once again. At least that would spare us any more pointless talking-heads blather about the Mili-feud, which has occupied the BBC prime-time news slot now for (I jest not) 3 days...
And what's more, that would be a good way to cut the future BBC pensions bill down to size - by printing off a large run of P45's today.
Three birds with one stone if you ask me.

Hugh

It is high time the Government changed the rules so that the BBC is only able to chase license fees as a normal commercial debt.
Unfair Contract Terms come to mind.

Captn P

"Right. The union must think we are REALLY stupid."

Well yes at least 40% are demonstrably stupid.

Ian Walker

Privatise the Beeb, keep the telly tax but use it as a fund for the creation of genuine public service programs, which any channel can bid for under commercial tender.

Dimoto

Be nice if ITV saw the opportunity and beefed up their coverage.
Won't happen though, we'll be stuck with (Sky Labour luvvies) Kay Burley and Adam Bolton.

Mike Thomas

So in summary, after much deliberation unions takes aim and shoots itself in foot. After several more discussions, the union publish a letter, takes aim and shoots their other foot.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

How about cut £2bn off the BBC budget, give half back to the license fee payers and distribute the rest to the other terrestrial broadcasters.

We might have the BBC off air for more than a few days that way, save money and get some decent TV to boot.

The Luddite

In all honesty who still listens to the BBC.

Tim W

Whilst I always watch Sky News, the one person I enjoy watching on the BBC is Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics. I'd be amazed if he went on strike. I can't see how much this will be disrupted as the actual footage of the speech is shared between ITN, Sky and BBC and all they need is a non-unionised member of the political team with some technical staff not on strike and bingo, a programme. Most of the programme is interviews anyway.

HairyNoddy

Why aren't the right wing media and politicos subjecting the BBC to unrelenting pressure to display the impartiality which they are supposedly committed?

The following is a quote from the BBC's own Editorial Guidelines page on 'impartiality'. It is so far removed from the reality of BBC news and current affairs coverage that it's hard to believe that any Beeboid could have come up with it, with the possible exception of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

Please stop them from getting away with this blatant bias.

In practice, our commitment to impartiality means:

* we seek to provide a properly balanced service consisting of a wide range of subject matter and views broadcast over an appropriate time scale across all our output. We take particular care when dealing with political or industrial controversy or major matters relating to current public policy.

* we strive to reflect a wide range of opinion and explore a range and conflict of views so that no significant strand of thought is knowingly unreflected or under represented.

* we exercise our editorial freedom to produce content about any subject, at any point on the spectrum of debate as long as there are good editorial reasons for doing so.

* we can explore or report on a specific aspect of an issue or provide an opportunity for a single view to be expressed, but in doing so we do not misrepresent opposing views. They may also require a right of reply.

* we must ensure we avoid bias or an imbalance of views on controversial subjects.

* the approach to, and tone of, BBC stories must always reflect our editorial values. Presenters, reporters and correspondents are the public face and voice of the BBC, they can have a significant impact on the perceptions of our impartiality.

* our journalists and presenters, including those in news and current affairs, may provide professional judgments but may not express personal opinions on matters of public policy or political or industrial controversy. Our audiences should not be able to tell from BBC programmes or other BBC output the personal views of our journalists and presenters on such matters.

* we offer artists, writers and entertainers scope for individual expression in drama, arts and entertainment and we seek to reflect a wide range of talent and perspective.

* we will sometimes need to report on or interview people whose views may cause serious offence to many in our audiences. We must be convinced, after appropriate referral, that a clear public interest outweighs the possible offence.

* we must rigorously test contributors expressing contentious views during an interview whilst giving them a fair chance to set out their full response to our questions.

* we should not automatically assume that academics and journalists from other organisations are impartial and make it clear to our audience when contributors are associated with a particular viewpoint.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/impariality/

AndyinBrum

I do because their national radio stations are considerably superior to anything in the private sphere.

Except for mmm Victoria mmmm Derbyshire mmmm who could take a long walk off a very short pier in my humble opinion.

Naomi Muse

The partisan strikers will be seen to be their partisan selves to have chosen such timing as the Tory conference.

As the Tories are the government with the Lib Dems, it would seem to be a good idea for them to just have a good conference, record it all and put it out on another network which does not have strikers on it.

Then they can make all the proper announcements in parliament anyway.

The boring Miliband dilemma has bored the pants off most of us anyway. Such lack of wisdom as that of brother standing against brother was bound to end in tears. I am waiting for the Labour party to be split in twain, as the modern Cain and Abel have swapped birthrights, whether or not either deserve it.

Hadrian

The BBC has never been the same since it ditched Carol Thatcher and Sarah Kennedy.
Those two of Governor and Depute Governor I think!