BBC News announces 415 job cuts on the eve of Commonwealth Games strike
BBC News will axe 415 jobs in a further attempt to cut costs, a measure which has been branded a "wasteful" use of taxpayer money by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
James Harding made the announcement this morning
The redundancies, which come before a planned BBC staff strike during the Commonwealth Games next week, form part of a £800m savings plan to account for revenue lost after the licence fee freeze in 2010.
The broadcaster revealed the news, which includes a £48m a year cost-saving strategy across the BBC News Group by 2016/2017, as it looks to restructure the division and invest in digital "transformation" and original journalism.
James Harding, director of news at the BBC, said he intends to restructure the organisation's 8,400 employees, including 5,000 journalists located across the world, with a new focus on digital news production technology.
This scheme will see 195 new jobs created resulting in a less severe net loss of 220 positions.
Harding said: “Taking nearly £50 million out of a well-run organisation that provides high quality news services that are trusted, relied upon and used by millions of people is an extremely difficult undertaking. The challenge is how to make BBC News even better, despite having less money.
“As well as setting out our savings plan this morning, we are also announcing proposals to restructure news and target investments in our future - in the digital transformation of BBC News, in our own original and distinctive journalism, in making this a better place to work."
He added: “The BBC is one of the very best things about this country. It is trusted, needed and loved by the vast majority of people."
However, the NUJ said the sacking of almost 500 workers is merely to supplement executives bonuses.
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said: "These cuts will further undermine the ability of journalists to deliver quality content. The way in which the BBC wants to carry out the redundancies is the latest move from a management whose approach to recruitment is to grab a coffee with their pals and find them a berth without so much as an interview, doling out jobs with salaries that are way in excess of the normal rates.
"Now they plan to get rid of hundreds of staff – using licence fee payers’ money to cover the redundancy pay-outs – and then immediately hire in a load more. You couldn’t make it up.
She added that the NUJ will work alongside other unions to ensure that the BBC doesn't waste licence fee payers’ money on unnecessary redundancies.
A massive 70 seven per cent of BBC NUJ members backed the planned 12-hour strike, which is in protest of a ten per cent pay cut over the last five years.
The BBC with meet with unions this week to discuss a new offer.