Staff at Britain's state-funded broadcaster today began the first of two 48-hour strikes to protest against changes designed to fill the gap in the BBC's pension scheme.
The broadcaster, a mainstay in British television and radio, was forced to transmit pre-recorded shows on several of its channels with Radio 4's flagship Today news programme among many cancelled bulletins.
The BBC is funded by a levy imposed on all households and its funding has been constrained by a government squeeze on public spending designed to rein in a record budget deficit.
"The BBC have proposed ripping up the current pension arrangements and replacing them with a pension scheme that will see staff paying more in contributions and working longer and getting less in retirement," the National Union of Journalists, which represents 4,100 BBC workers, said in a statement.
"As a result, NUJ members have been left with no choice but to strike to defend their financial futures."
The BBC wants to tackle a £1.5 billion pension deficit by putting a cap on rises in pensionable pay at 1 percent after April.
Members of BECTU, a union representing technical and production staff, accepted a revised offer from the BBC as part of the pension changes.
The next 48-hour NUJ strike is scheduled for November 15th-16th.
Separately, firefighters called off strike action planned for today - when Britain commemorates, with bonfires and fireworks, the anniversary of a foiled 17th century plot to blow up parliament - after negotiations with management yesterday.
The planned industrial action stems from a dispute over shift patterns and a threat by management to sack all striking staff. The two sides have planned further talks on November 16th.
Reuters