News IT withdrawal

The BBC has withdrawn most of the proposals to transfer News IT staff if BBC Technology is sold.

This follows 100% of News IT members responding in a ballot voting for industrial action in mid-July.

However management are still proposing to transfer the News IT Network and Server team if Siemens buys BBC Technology.

News IT management have withdrawn their proposal to select a number of staff from the News Support Desk and ex-IT staff in Second Line Support for transfer out of the department.

The selection procedure had been challenged by the union, which led to the ballot for industrial action.

Local management have stated the reason for the withdrawal of their proposals:

Having selected 1st [Support Desk] and 2nd line support staff to transfer we have continued to work on the precise detail of defining the operational boundaries between News Production Facilities and Siemens. Whilst this work is not concluded, it has become apparent that the complexities of running separate production and office desktop support and their associated helpdesks from two sources are significant, especially at a time when we are in the process of rolling out desktop production systems in TV and Radio News.

We have therefore been in discussions with John Varney CTO and Siemens on this specific issue and as a consequence have agreed to withdraw News office desktop support from its intended transfer to Siemens alongside the sale of BBCT.

Management have said the above staff will continue in their current roles, and have no intention of processing claims lodged against the selection procedure.