BECTU and the NUJ yesterday warned that BBC plans to cut 2,000 jobs would provoke strikes by Xmas.

The BBC intends to reshape its TV schedules in order to cut 20 per cent from its budget over the next five years.

BECTU general secretary Gerry Morrissey said ‘We do not accept that these proposals are a fait accompli and unless the BBC changes its stance, I believe we will see strike action at the BBC before Christmas.’

The union reacted angrily to the BBC’s decision to axe 2,000 jobs and to make significant changes to staff terms and conditions including redundancy rights and payments for unsociable working.

Morrissey added: ‘The shocking 11th hour deal on the licence fee which Mark Thompson agreed with the

Treasury last October without any consultation at all, was hasty and will be the cause of regret for years to come unless the BBC agrees to revise ‘Delivering Quality First’ (DQF).

‘The proposed salami-slicing cuts to services will destroy quality, destroy jobs and ultimately destroy the BBC.

‘BBC staff have been working harder for several years to maintain the BBC’s reputation against a background of a minimum of three per cent efficiency savings every year.

‘BECTU does not believe that today’s level of output can be maintained at the same quality and to the satisfaction of the audience with the level of proposed cuts.

‘The BBC’s approach to negotiating change is to include in today’s announcement dates for implementation.

‘BECTU does not accept that these proposals are a fait accompli and unless the BBC changes its stance, I believe we will see strike action at the BBC before Christmas.’

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: ‘You cannot reduce budgets by 20 per cent and pretend that the BBC will still be able to be a world-class broadcaster.

‘Quality journalism and programming is inevitably going to be diluted.

‘If the BBC presses ahead with these changes strike action across the corporation seems inevitable.’