news Strike halts STV election coverage


AROUND 100 STV staff members took strike action on May 8 – the day of the Holyrood parliament election results – in a dispute over pay. The walkout meant that coverage of the Scottish election results had to be cancelled and replaced by an episode of The Chase. NUJ members at STV were joined on the picket lines outside the Glasgow and Aberdeen offices by members of Bectu, which represents technical staff. Members of both unions voted overwhelmingly for strike action in March following management’s decision to offer a zero pay award. On the day of the industrial action Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ Scotland organiser, said: “It’s frustrating that due to the stubbornness of STV management, on the biggest


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been an overwhelming vote in favour of the strike action in December over the company’s plans to make compulsory redundancies and axe the north edition of its News at 6 programme. Also in December Ofcom


news day in Scotland for years, Scottish viewers, listeners and readers won’t be able to hear what some of the most well-respected journalists, reporters and producers in Scottish broadcasting have to say. Our members would much rather be reporting the election results than standing on picket lines, but they have been driven to this action by management’s indifference as


to how overworked and underpaid they are. “CEO Rufus Radcliffe has


once again failed to grasp the opportunity to end this dispute, and it is personally embarrassing for him that STV will be broadcasting reruns instead of the biggest news story in Scotland.” In January NUJ members


at STV staged a one-day strike over job cuts. There had


gave provisional approval to a revised watered-down version of its original plans which would see STV have a single news programme across its two North and Central licence areas, but with a guaranteed minimum amount of regional coverage. The NUJ has repeatedly criticised the plans as being bad for viewers, advertisers, and journalism. The strike went ahead


despite extreme weather at the time and considerable travel disruption, demonstrating the dedication and strength of feeling among NUJ members at STV.


NUJ pickets greet new director general The strike came after an


AS MATT BRITTIN, the BBC’s new director general, started work on May 18 he was greeted with picket lines as NUJ members at Newshour and The World Tonight staged a one-day strike. They took the action in a dispute over rota changes. Brittin took an NUJ strike leaflet as he entered Broadcasting House.


overwhelming vote for industrial action. The ballot results showed 94 per cent supported both strike action and action short of a strike on a turnout of 97 per cent. The ballot closed on May 8 and under the new Employment Rights Act, the legal mandate to


hold industrial action now lasts for a year rather than six months. The proposed changes to


rotas would lead to fewer opportunities for freelances and increased workloads for staff. BBC management have so far rejected the NUJ’s counter proposal and offer to meet, instead choosing to


John Sailing, NUJ


broadcasting organiser, said: “Journalists at the BBC are coming under increasing pressure to do more with less. The changes being proposed


Recruitment drive launches on May Day


THE NUJ marked May Day with the publication of the first phase of a new recruitment and organising strategy, outlining how the union can build collective power across journalism. May Day is an ancient European festival marking the start of summer, but is now also a global celebration to mark the historic struggles for rights such as the eight-hour working day and five-day working week. It serves as a reminder of what collective action can achieve. The strategy comes as many journalists and media workers


struggle with low pay amid a cost-of-living crisis. Freelances face growing instability, with some publications exploiting insecure working arrangements, while journalists from marginalised backgrounds are increasingly subjected to


far-right rhetoric that can threaten their ability to report safely and freely. Polling carried out by YouGov for the TUC in 2025 found nearly three in five workers (58 per cent) have never been asked to join a union and three in 10 workers are not confident how to join one. The strategy emphasises that


recruitment is a shared responsibility, with every member playing a role. It also focuses on supporting members throughout their careers and ensuring the union remains relevant across all sectors.


defending winning


Organising


implement plans that would require staff to work an additional two days every four weeks due to slightly shorter shift times.


by BBC management will mean that there are fewer shifts available for freelances and their work will need to be redistributed. “Staff on these programmes


already work unsocial hours, which mean that they either start very early, or finish late at night – including on weekends and bank holidays – and are therefore unable to spend time with friends and family.”


“


Our members would much rather be reporting the election results than standing on picket lines


Nick McGowan-Lowe Scottish organiser


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