UNION ANGER OVER BIRMINGHAM MOVE

UNION members at BBC Birmingham have reacted strongly against plans to abandon Pebble Mill, say BECTU.
The planned move announced by the BBC, involves the transfer of 600 staff to premises in The Mailbox, a new Central Birmingham property development.
Although BBC management indicated there would be no redundancies, the union have criticised the announcement, which comes just two months after a decision was made to close the two TV studios in the Pebble Mill building. At that time, union representatives accused the BBC of closing Pebble Mill by stealth, and a campaign was mounted among local politicians to save the jobs of 90 staff threatened with redundancy.
Many of the staff effected have now been served with notice of dismissal, cuts which were justified, according to management by the significant savings that would be made by closing the studios.
BECTU claim that Pebble Mill’s move to The Mailbox development will increase the BBC’s rent payments from £1000 a year, to nearly £2 million a year, an increase of 200,000 per cent. On top of the massive rent hike, The Mailbox move will also leave behind at Pebble Mill more than £3 million worth of recently installed widescreen digital studio equipment.
Management have admitted when the studio closure was announced that a move out of Pebble Mill was being considered, but said that the costs of moving were comparable to the cost of staying, and the decision would therefore not be on financial grounds.
One of the factors which was expected to tip the public accessibility of any new building, which, said BECTU, ought to have ruled out The Mailbox, a site which will have to be just as secure as Pebble Mill, with the further disadvantage that it is unknown by most West Midlands residents.
Details of the planned move have not yet been discussed between the union and management, but BECTU say that the new premises are expected to include a regional TV news studio, and radio facilities including a drama studio for ‘The Archers’.
The move is expected to be phased over five years, with most staff being transferred in the first 12-18 months.
BECTU expects to meet the BBC to discuss proposals within the next few weeks.
(CD)