BBC strike to hit Tory conference
By politics.co.uk staff
Sayeeda Warsi has written to the director general of the BBC after strike plans threatened coverage of the Conservative party conference.
Unions want to strike during the conference and later when the autumn spending review is unveiled.
The four days of strike action, on the 5th, 6th, 19th and 20th of October, are specifically aimed at disrupting coverage of the two biggest political events of the autumn.
A further round of consultation will take place before any final decision is made. Union leaders meet on October 1st to confirm strike action.
Tory party chairman Baroness Warsi reacted with alarm in a letter to Mark Thompson, in which she asked for details of contingency plans “to ensure political coverage is maintained”.
“I understand that you have already spoken to staff about this issue and on the specific point of contention regarding staff pensions,” she asked.
“Everyone’s hope remains that a fair and amicable resolution can be found to the dispute so that strike action need not go ahead.”
The BBC is desperately trying to plug a £1.5 billion deficit in its corporation fund.
The original plan for pensions stopped them rising by more than one per cent per year, but a new offer made recently allowed for existing staff to receive a pension based on their average salary while at the corporation.
