BECTU Challenges BBC Academy Cuts Plan

BECTU officials will meet with BBC Academy management today as part of an agreed consultation.
The BBC Academy is proposing cuts in staffing which BECTU believes “are so severe and focused on the wrong targets, that if implemented, the Academy would not have sufficient capacity which, in turn, would be both business and broadcast damaging.”
The Academy’s management is working towards making 35 per cent savings equivalent to a cut of some £10m in its annual budget. More than half of the required savings (£5.5m) derive from Delivering Quality First, the controversial efficiency programme announced earlier this year by Director-General, Mark Thompson, after agreement with government on a standstill licence fee until 2016.
Commenting on the proposals, a BECTU spokesperson said: "BECTU wants to work with the BBC to create a world-class training organisation. These proposals threaten to diminish the Academy. We're not prepared to help turn the Academy into White City's white elephant."
Two meetings are scheduled currently to address the proposals following a trawl to identify staff interested in voluntary redundancy which closed on 30 June. Officials and management meet today and then again on 18 July.
(KMcA)