Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at BBC Northern Ireland have voted for strike action in protest over cuts to Radio Foyle in Derry.
In a statement on Twitter, the NUJ’s BBC regions branch said its members in Northern Ireland had “voted overwhelmingly for strike action and industrial action” over cuts to Radio Foyle and “the risk of redundancies for some colleagues”.
It said the vote was another “clear mandate” from NUJ members and a message “that we won’t stand by and let valued local services be withdrawn”.
“We will be consulting with reps and members shortly on when the action will take place and in what form,” it said. “As ever, our door remains open if the senior management wish to talk,” it added.
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The post said the union branch would be making a full statement on the matter on Friday.
BBC Northern Ireland in November announced plans to shed up to 40 jobs, which included significant cuts to Radio Foyle in Derry, including its breakfast programme.
Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish secretary, previously criticised the cutbacks of the breakfast show and regional news bulletins as a “betrayal of the people of Northern Ireland”.
In a statement, the BBC said it was “disappointed” NUJ members in BBC NI had voted in favour of industrial action.
“Foyle’s role as a newsgathering and production hub has been secured and it will continue to deliver great content for BBC audiences across the North West and beyond,” it said.
“As we said back in November 2022, our ambition was to achieve the savings required without the need for compulsory redundancies. In accordance with that commitment, suitable roles have been offered to everyone who was ‘at risk’ of redundancy,” the statement said.
“There will be no BBC headcount reduction in Foyle; we have moved peak and off-peak Radio Ulster programming to the North West; we reintroduced two posts which had previously been earmarked for closure; and we have retained daily news in peak-time, with an exclusively local focus,” it added.
The BBC said it would “continue to work constructively with staff and the trade unions” in the interests of employees and its audiences.
