Unprecedented outbreak of unity to save Ulster TV
UNIONS have won the rare backing of all the parties in Northern Ireland in their battle to stop job cuts at Ulster Television.
It’s not just ITV in England and Wales that is trying to cut back on news and current affairs on the Channel 3 network. UTV wants to impose up to 35 redundancies
The NUJ and sister broadcasting union BECTU have been campaigning hard and politicians across the board are united in horror at losing their local news programming.
First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, along with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey, SDLP Leader Mark Durkan, David Ford, leader of the Alliance Party and PUP Leader Dawn Purvis, have all signed a petition urging UTV to at least allow proper consultation. The petition also demands that nothing be done until Ofcom has produced a major report on public service broadcasting early in 2009.
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said the cross-party support was “an unprecedented development. It says much about the important role played by UTV in the life of Northern Ireland and reflects wider public concern”.
The union has been negotiating with UTV managing director Michael Wilson over the proposed redundancies. NUJ Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley said: “This is the first time that the NUJ at this level has been engaged in direct discussions with senior management at UTV.” But he added: “We remain gravely concerned at the threat to employment and are not convinced by Mr Wilson’s claims that quality programming can be maintained against the level of cutbacks proposed.”
The management side walked out of talks after the unions refused to accept a move to declare all posts redundant. Managers also rejected a joint NUJ/BECTU proposal for the appointment of a conciliator to break the deadlocked talks.
“Management has been engaged in a fake consultation process and has treated staff with total contempt,” said Seamus Dooley.
The unions took part in a special meeting of the NI Assembly’s Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee at Stormont and the assembly itself called unanimously on the company to suspend the redundancy programme.
Committee chair David McNarry of the Ulster Unionists said he had received more communications on this issue than any other.
Seamus Dooley said this was an illustration of how the union’s campaign had gripped the public imagination. He paid tribute to the UTV chapel for their strong stand.
There was cross-party support too for a motion calling on Ofcom to protect diverse, quality broadcasting through the promotion of local news and programming.