Members of Bectu and National Union of Journalists at BBC Children’s Education Unit to ballot on strike action over department closure

Members of broadcasting union Bectu and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the Children’s Education Unit at the BBC have voted to ballot for strike action as the remaining nine staff are to be axed.

It follows the recent opening of the new News, Factual and Learning department by Children’s BBC integrating factual genre programming including Blue Peter, Newsround, and children’s education.

However, the Children’s Education Unit has been closed, and redundancy notices have been issued to the remaining workers in the unit.

If members vote for strike action, the first wave of industrial action is likely to take place at the end of June, according to Bectu.

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Helen Ryan, Bectu’s national official, said: “Despite there being an over-subscription for voluntary redundancies, the BBC will not retract the notice of redundancies.

“The BBC is losing experienced and talented staff who have for been making programmes for the BBC for many years, yet this loss of talent could be avoided.”