This page will be frequently updated as and when new information comes through. It was last updated on 15th December 2022. This page is primarily intended to give you practical advice and information as we understand things to date. It concentrates on industrial, union matters rather than the details of how the new structure will work.
Important : The information presented here assumes that the BBC’s proposals will go ahead in their entirety, as announced on 31st October 2022. However, this will be subject to negotiations with the NUJ and other unions. To be clear, the NUJ is likely to present counter proposals, and we continue our long standing policy of no compulsory redundancies at the BBC.
All information is provided in good faith, and we are happy to correct any errors brought to our attention via the Contact page
Update on counter proposals – added 15th December 2022
The BBC has rejected in their entirety a set of counter proposals from the NUJ, which we believe could have protected Local Radio output and jobs, while also realising some of the BBC’s digital ambition. The union has therefore launched a consultative ballot of all members in BBC England on whether they would support industrial action. The ballot closes on 6th January.
Update on rotas and working patterns – added 5th December 2022
We are still to see indicative rotas and working patterns for Digital First. We were told by management that a draft rota for one regions was “very close to completion” on 30th November but so far there has been nothing. The NUJ has made it clear that our members cannot make decisions on their futures without knowing the basics of shift patterns and weekend working.
Update on new roles and job descriptions – added 5th December 2022
Many members have been asking about Job Descriptions for the new roles that are being created – eg : Investigations Teams, central support roles etc. Management say that the generic Job Descriptions will apply, which are already available via Gateway. However, appendices which go into the details of duties and specific skills will not be published until the New Year. The NUJ has continually pressed for these to be made available before the end of the 45 day consultation period.
Update on resources – Audio/Radio reporters – added 21st November 2022
In our regional meetings, management have posted a revised slide showing the proposed staffing for radio stations. Along with the 2 x Band C Audio Reporters and 1.4/2.4 x Band C Newsreaders, we are told there will be 2 x Band C “Backfill roles”. These are not “backfill” in the usual sense : eg freelance for holiday cover – but 2 actual roles that will work across the radio rota. This means, for example, you could be asked to work in News (eg newsreading) or Audio (programme producing). It’s not yet clear if all of the “Audio” Band Cs might work across a rota, because we have yet to see sample rotas.
Update on proposed HR processes – added 21st November 2022
After asking for some time, the BBC has finally provided the script and slides from the HR presentation on 10th November. You can view the slides by clicking here or browse the script by clicking here. The script will answer many of the HR related questions you’ve been asking.
Update on Growth In Job – amended 9th November 2022
HR have said that if you are still in the legacy Growth in Job/Fully Effective Salary (FES) schemes and remain in your post following a Selection for Retention process you will remain in those schemes until no further increases are due or they are no longer eligible. Individuals who change roles (i.e. apply for a new role because they are not selected for retention, or apply for another role because they are at risk of redundancy) will move to the new pay progression model when they start the new role.
Update on Resources – Radio Car Reporters – 7th November 2022
Some members have asked whether the Radio Car Reporter (Verv) role will stay in the proposed new model for Audio. The answer is that there won’t be a guaranteed, dedicated resource every morning as there is now. Reporters from the Story Team, Correspondents or Political Reporters may all be used by radio stations, but they will be allocated from, the SJ Team Manager (News Editor) in the Story Team. In short, you’ll have to share reporting resources with other platforms.
Update on Selection for Retention – 5th November 2022
Management have confirmed that no selection for retention exercises will take place until the New Year – ie : after the 45 day statutory consultation period. Obviously if the Joint Unions manage to get this period extended, that will push back the process further.
However, all 800 colleagues who have been placed provisionally at risk will be invited for a one to one to discuss SFR within the 45 day window. This is largely a box ticking exercise. The NUJ has no view on whether or not you should attend. Equally, it is very unlikely that all 800 people will eventually end up being placed at formal risk. So the choice is yours.
Update on Recruitment – 5th November 2022
The BBC has initiated an immediate recruitment freeze in BBC England. All broadcast critical roles will be filled by Fixed Term Contracts of attachments. This is an important win for the NUJ as we rightly want to concentrate on those members at risk. Clearly this may have a knock on effect for some development opportunities but the reality is that in recent months very few staff roles have been available allowing people to get promotions, especially in Local Radio and TV.
What are the key messages from the announcement?
- Funding flat for BBC England for the next three years – but a strong move to spend a greater proportion on digital – current 92% of spend is on linear
- Closure of the stand alone Cambridge and Oxford 1830 programmes
- Closure of We Are England after Series 2
- A new Investigations Team with 60-70 new roles
- New online services for Wolverhampton, Sunderland, Peterborough and Bradford
- Sharing of some Local Radio output
For more information please see the BBC Microsite on the proposals (requires BBC Login)
Who will be in charge?
On 5th July 2022, Nations Director Rhodri Talfan-Davies announced a new senior leadership structure for BBC England. Details of the new structure can be found here.
On 31st October, 2022, further conformation was given about who will run News and Audio teams at a regional and local level.
Click here for the News presentation
Click here for the Audio presentation
A number of Band F managers have decided not to continue in their current roles. This is a mix of Local Radio and TV/Online Editors from across BBC England. The appointments process continues in the background, while existing managers remain in post.
Is my job at risk?
The decision to close We Are England, along with TV programmes in Oxford and Cambridge means that all of those colleagues are at risk of redundancy. This process is being handled at a local level in consultation with the NUJ and Bectu.
Under the proposed new structure, many roles in Audio are being put provisionally at risk of redundancy. This is a really important distinction, and we won’t know the full picture until Voluntary Redundancy numbers have been matched against the numbers of posts at risk.
Click here for the NUJ’s calculations on proposed staffing for local radio
Management have said that NO toles in TV and online are being placed at risk of redundancy (away from Oxford and Cambridge). However, where you present job sits in the new structure may well change. We have yet to see the fine detail of this and can therefore provide no further information.
What if there are fewer roles in my job for the number of people currently involved?
The BBC operates a Selection for Retention process. This means you will be placed in a pool with other colleagues in your region who are in the same situation. Selection will be based on a set of key criteria linked to your job description, and before the process happens, you would have a chance to provide additional information – eg : an updated CV or showreel.
Can I apply for new roles in other areas?
Yes you can. There are a number of new roles in both Audio and News which are outlined in the staff presentations, linked at the top of this page. Examples include new online subbing jobs, roles in the Investigations Teams and other new posts in Audio. If you are at risk of redundancy, you will be given priority to apply for these jobs over other colleagues who are not at risk. And you don’t have to choose a role in your existing region or location.
What if I am still at risk of redundancy after all of this?
The BBC operates the Reorganisation and Redundancy Policy, a long standing set of rules agreed with the unions. There are several options open to you at this stage, including priority boarding for jobs elsewhere in the BBC. There’s also a Redeployment Fund, which effectively gives you the chance to work in any department you like for a set period of time, funded centrally by the BBC, allowing you to gain new skills and improve your employment chances. Importantly, the BBC cannot force you into a new role that you don’t want – and in declining any such work you are not putting at risk your redundancy payments.
Can I get Voluntary Redundancy?
BBC England has opened an immediate “trawl” for VR, which will be explained in detail on the internal microsite. In simple terms, you will be able to calculate your provisional redundancy payment and then fill in a form expressing an interest in taking VR. However, this is not binding on either side.
It’s important to note that the BBC will assess your role against the jobs in the new structure before making any offer. This means you may be waiting for some weeks or even months before you get an outcome. This can work in your favour, since you will still keep your existing job until a new one is found or the BBC decides to let you go. And everything – including your actual leaving date – is up for negotiation.
Click here to find out more about Voluntary Redundancy (requires BBC login)
WE REPEAT HERE THAT THE NUJ HAS A POLICY OF NO COMPUSORY REDUNDANCIES IN THE BBC. WHENEVER OUR MEMBERS ARE UNDER THREAT, WE INFORM THE BBC THAT WE WILL BE BALLOTING FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION. THIS APPLIES WHETHER ONE OR ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS ARE AFFECTED.
What about pay and conditions?
In very broad terms, the Job Descriptions and pay bands in the proposed new structure are not changing. But clearly with the quest for multi media, the precise duties you do may well differ from how you operate now. The NUJ will be negotiating at a national level on whether these changes should lead to more reward, especially if you are taking on significant new skills. However, at this stage it is too early to say how this will play out.
How will my day to day job actually work with rotas, story flow and output?
We are as in the dark as you on this one. Frankly, these are questions for BBC England management which we continue to ask in our negotiations and regional level meetings. They are fundamentally matters of editorial process, rather than industrial matters. The NUJ”s focus is on protecting our members’ jobs, and campaigning to maintain and improve pay.
Could OFCOM intervene?
Earlier in the year the BBC set out a proposed new Operating Licence which includes quotas and requirements for regional and local programming. The NUJ also drafted a briefing for reps outlining the possible implications for Nations and Regions. You may have heard politicians and others asking whether Ofcom can do anything – but the short answer is no. As a regulator, it cannot dictate to the BBC what is and is not acceptable in terms of a programme schedule, and it is moving away from a rigid “quota” system. On example of this is that Local Radio is only required to provide local news bulletins “at intervals through the day”. That’s less than the requirement for Capital (which is hourly)
What else is the NUJ doing?
We are conscious of the value that politicians place on local broadcasting, so we have produced a special briefing for MPs. This has been primarily sent to the NUJ’s Parliamentary Group, a collection of cross-party MPs at Westminster, in which we outline the NUJ’s position on the proposed changes both in England and the wider BBC.
In the meantime it’s important that reps continue to hold regular chapel meetings to gauge the opinions of members on the ground. It’s vital that we have eyes and ears on the ground as this process progresses.
NUJ Nations and Regions 