Journalists and technical staff at STV have walked out on strike in a dispute over pay, affecting coverage on the day of the Holyrood election count. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Bectu, which represents technical staff, are taking action over a pay freeze that unions describe as a real-terms pay cut.
Impact on Election Coverage
The strike on Friday has impacted STV's coverage of the Holyrood election results. Instead of a scheduled election programme at 5pm, an episode of the game show The Chase will air. STV stated that the broadcaster will remain with the Channel 3 network schedule throughout the day, except at 6pm when an episode of Sean's Scotland will air. Regular updates on the election will be provided through the STV News digital service and STV Radio.
Union Reactions
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ Scotland organiser, expressed frustration: "It's frustrating that due to the stubbornness of STV management, on the biggest 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." He added that members would rather be reporting the election results than standing on picket lines but have been driven to action by management's indifference to their workload and pay.
Paul McManus, Bectu negotiations officer for Scotland, noted: "Staff at STV have been left with no choice but to take this action. They are being asked to take a real-terms pay cut against the backdrop of rocketing prices and when they are already overworked." He warned that the pay freeze is having a brutal effect on people's income, with members struggling to pay bills and feed their families. Further industrial action is possible, with discussions planned in the coming weeks.
STV's Response
An STV spokesperson said: "We recognise a temporary salary freeze is challenging for colleagues, but we've had to take a range of measures to respond to the market conditions facing the media sector. Returning the business to a strong financial footing is our priority and will protect the long-term interests of our colleagues." The spokesperson expressed disappointment that the strike would impact on-air audiences but affirmed commitment to ongoing dialogue with the unions.
Background
The strike follows STV's announcement last year to axe its dedicated north programme and cut up to 60 jobs. The company plans to replace the north programme with a single programme from Glasgow, featuring sections devoted to regional news. A new STV News At 6 programme will involve sharing and co-producing output between the STV Central and STV North licences, with 70% shared content and 30% licence-specific content. STV has applied to Ofcom for permission to reduce its public service broadcasting obligations and drop regionalised versions of the flagship news programme. Ofcom has stated it will not publish a decision until after the Scottish election.
