BBC journalists strike over threat of job cuts
The growing economic difficulties facing the media industry are now being felt in the United Kingdom as well, following the trend in the United States. As reported by The Guardian, thousands of journalists at the British broadcaster BBC are set to voice their discontent through strikes in the face of a looming wave of layoffs.
After the USA, the increasing economic difficulties in the media industry are now also having an impact in the UK. As the Guardian reported in a press release, thousands of journalists will be venting their discontent in the form of strikes in the face of an impending wave of redundancies at the British broadcaster BBC. Work is to be stopped for two days next month. The drastic measures will affect both the TV and radio programs as well as the company's extensive website, whose news production is to be completely shut down on April 3 and 9. The aim of the staff protest, for which 77 percent of voters had previously spoken out in a nationwide vote, is to get the BBC management to give in. They should enter into "meaningful negotiations" with the National Union of Journalists in order to avert the danger of compulsory redundancies, the BBC employees demand.
In Switzerland, colleagues in the industry are showing solidarity with the striking BBC journalists. A strike is a perfectly legitimate means of drawing attention to grievances and problems, Urs Thalmann, Managing Director of Impressum, told Pressetext. In order for the concerns to be heard by the public, it is often necessary to resort to drastic measures. The possibility of Swiss journalists taking strike action in the face of this development is real, but not very likely, Thalmann continued. Journalist strikes are a rare exception in Switzerland.
In Switzerland, colleagues in the industry are showing solidarity with the striking BBC journalists. A strike is a perfectly legitimate means of drawing attention to grievances and problems, Urs Thalmann, Managing Director of Impressum, told Pressetext. In order for the concerns to be heard by the public, it is often necessary to resort to drastic measures. The possibility of Swiss journalists taking strike action in the face of this development is real, but not very likely, Thalmann continued. Journalist strikes are a rare exception in Switzerland.
