Strike seriously disrupts BBC news programmes

BBC programmes and news were among the worst disrupted BBC output today as staff took industrial action in protest at plans to cut nearly 4,000 jobs.
Thousands of journalists and technicians stopped work at midnight on Sunday, joined by the regional staff shift early this morning, as what unions are claiming to be the biggest ever strike seen at the BBC hit programme production.
Union members commenced picketing outside BBC premises this morning in the first of a series of planned strikes, unions plan to follow this up with a 48-hour stoppage from Tuesday May 31 and Wednesday June 1.
Among the television productions disrupted was BBC One's 'Breakfast' which was reduced to pre-recorded material studded with brief news bulletins.
BBC Radio Four's Today programme, and much of the output from Radio Five today were similarly replaced with pre-recorded items.
The three main unions concerned the NUJ, Bectu and Amicus expect that some 11,000 BBC staff would take part in the industrial action today.
Unions have hailed the strike action as a huge success.
Bectu's Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Morrissey, said: "Members have come out across the country to support the strike, and production has stopped. We're expecting them to be joined by thousands more as the day progresses, and we are confident that live programming will be curtailed, or cut altogether."
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: "We knew this strike would be big and get massive backing from staff but the effect it is having on programming is even greater than we expected. We've dealt a major blow in the fight to save the BBC from Mark Thompson's savage cuts. I hope he will now begin to take notice and begin proper negotiations with the staff unions."
Earlier this year, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson annouced staff cuts at the BBC amounting to 3,870 posts.
The TUC has said that local as well as regional and national programmes will be affected today, giving a taste of what the cuts would mean if they were carried through.
Commenting on the strike action at the BBC, TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Roger McKenzie said: "We call upon the BBC management to engage in meaningful negotiations with the unions. They must recognise the damage that will be done, not just to programme output, but to public confidence in the Corporation if they fail to properly engage with the unions and reach a negotiated settlement."
(SP/KMcA)