BECTU Bids To Save BBC World Service

As broadcast union BECTU officials continue in talks at the BBC World Service to challenge the funding cuts proposed by the Foreign Office, the external campaign to "expose the lasting damage which the cuts will do to the UK's standing and to communities abroad" gathers pace.
BECTU said that supporters of the World Service are encouraged to support the petition, which calls upon the government to revisit plans, which in the short term put 651 jobs at risk.
Likewise, constituents across the country are being urged to seek their MPs support for Early Day Motion 1356. Massive support will put still more pressure on ministers to consider the disproportionate effect of the planned budget cuts.
A BECTU statement at the beginning of March said: "Please act now as the cuts have already started. At the end of February the BBC Portuguese service to Africa, the Spanish Latin American service (BBC Mundo), and the services for Serbia and Albania shut up shop," after the cuts were announced in January.
BECTU's Assistant General Secretary, Luke Crawley explained: "These cuts are an attack on services which are highly valued by those who listen and they help make the BBC one of the world's leading broadcasters with a global audience of 2.5 billion on radio, television and online."
He said that BECTU and NUJ members at Bush House, working for the BBC World Service, and also at Caversham, working for BBC Monitoring are all under threat.
BBC Monitoring is directly funded by the Cabinet Office and provides services to the intelligence authorities, many of which inform issues of national security. Cuts of £3m are being sought during 2011/12 and 2012/13.
It also emerged that Gerry Morrissey, BECTU's General Secretary's evidence will be considered by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee after he argued that the planned cuts to the World Service are proportionately much greater than the savings demanded from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as a whole.
As the campaign picks up, a lobby of Parliament and a public meeting was being scheduled in mid March as well.
Union members, campaigners and supporters of the World Service from across the political spectrum will all call for a Government rethink at a public meeting.
This is to be in Committee Room 14 at the House of Commons on Tuesday 15 March from 6.30pm when Luke Crawley will speak on behalf of BECTU.
A lobby of Parliament from 4.30pm will also immediately precede this when supporters of the lobby will also have the opportunity to debate the issues in Committee Room 7 (also at the House of Commons).
Union members are being urged to join others in lobbying their MPs to come out in clear opposition to the cuts.
Supporters of the World Service outside the UK are also being encouraged to show their support.
Setting out some comprehensive advice to BECTU members at home and abroad, National Official Dan Cooke said: "Please publicise the campaign amongst colleagues, family and friends and contact your nearest British Embassy and inform them of your support for the campaign."
(BMcC/KMcA)