» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
IFJ Calls on BBC to “Come Clean” Over Deal with Canadian Broadcaster That Locked out 5,500 Staff
25/8/05: The International Federation of Journalists and its regional group the European Federation of Journalists today called on the BBC to “come clean” over its role in providing broadcast material to the Canadian public broadcaster CBC which is engaged in a bitter battle with unions after it locked out 5,500 workers.
The BBC has so far refused to meet with British trade unions representing journalists and other workers to explain its role in the Canadian dispute which began on August 15 after talks with unions on a new contract broke down over the CBC demand for the unfettered right to hire contract and part-time workers to take jobs now filled by staff employees.
When the company locked out its union staff most original programming and news in particular, ground to a halt with the radio and TV slots filled with repeats and imported content. The broadcaster relies heavily on BBC foreign news reports for television news.
“The BBC claims not to be involved,” said Aidan White General Secretary of the EFJ and the IFJ, “but while it refuses to disclose the details of its arrangement with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC will continue to be accused of strikebreaking. It’s time to come clean over what deals have been made.”
The IFJ wrote last week to the European Broadcasting Union, which groups national, rand international public broadcasters, warning that the use of the BBC and other broadcasters, such as the English service of German network Deutsche Welle, to fill gaps in CBC programming threatens the reputation of public broadcasters.
The IFJ is backing local unions which yesterday protested at the BBC’s refusal to meet them over the issue and has asked all its members, and in particular the National Union of Journalists in Great Britain and Ireland and affiliates in Germany, to work together with its Canadian member, the Canadian Media Guild (TNG/CWA), to prevent broadcasts from global networks being used to make up for missing local content.
The dispute is backed by the NUJ in the UK and the IFJ’s US affiliate, the Newspaper Guild/CWA as well as the Canadian actors’ union ACTRA, which have instructed members to do nothing that would undermine the CBC staff position.
“This dispute can only be solved through negotiations on the spot. The role of the BBC could make matters worse,” said White. “We hope that the BBC will explain its position to UK unions and will not put its reputation for impartiality at risk.”
Last modified: Thursday, August 25, 2005
Previous international stories
World Journalists Condemn “Strikebreaking” Use of Global Networks by Canadian Public Broadcaster
NUJ and BECTU call on BBC not to break strike
PLATFORM: Live 8 - A movement robbed of its colours
The return of Television Without Frontiers
New Link: New Internationalist Online
Granta 89 (Review)
Court dismisses some of Vanunu indictment
China pressures Eutelsat to suppress TV station
Euro consultation on transfrontier television
A million signatures for media pluralism
The latest from the Vanunu campaign
Arguments against G8
Whistleblowers with all this information we can still do nothing to stop corruption and we have no government to protect the rights of Americans why?
Whistleblower given early trial date
Reports from Bishkek
Vanunu's Plight I spoke on him last night
Journalists call on Yushchenko to solve Gongadze case
'A shocking abuse of journalists’ rights and press freedom'
MEDIA MONITOR: Justice for Vanunu
MEDIA MONITOR: Thumbs Down for Berlusconi
More MidEast links
The National Conference on Media Reform - 7-9 November 2003
Who does he think he is?
Latest GATS News
EU line on GATS shows up UK
LEGALISED PIRACY
The Shayler Trial
Legalised Piracy
The Response of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom to the Department of Trade and Industry Consultation Document Liberalising Trade in Services.
Public service broadcasting measures threatened by free trade agreement
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
International
World Journalists Condemn “Strikebreaking” Use of Global Networks by Canadian Public Broadcaster
NUJ and BECTU call on BBC not to break strike
PLATFORM: Live 8 - A movement robbed of its colours
The return of Television Without Frontiers
New Link: New Internationalist Online
Granta 89 (Review)
Court dismisses some of Vanunu indictment
China pressures Eutelsat to suppress TV station
Euro consultation on transfrontier television
A million signatures for media pluralism
The latest from the Vanunu campaign
Arguments against G8
Whistleblowers with all this information we can still do nothing to stop corruption and we have no government to protect the rights of Americans why?
Whistleblower given early trial date
Reports from Bishkek
Vanunu's Plight I spoke on him last night
Journalists call on Yushchenko to solve Gongadze case
'A shocking abuse of journalists’ rights and press freedom'
MEDIA MONITOR: Justice for Vanunu
MEDIA MONITOR: Thumbs Down for Berlusconi
More MidEast links
The National Conference on Media Reform - 7-9 November 2003
Who does he think he is?
Latest GATS News
EU line on GATS shows up UK
LEGALISED PIRACY
The Shayler Trial
Legalised Piracy
The Response of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom to the Department of Trade and Industry Consultation Document Liberalising Trade in Services.
Public service broadcasting measures threatened by free trade agreement
