NUJ targets broadcasting bullies. Union report published.

Friday 22 August 2003

Attention news and media editors

Bulling is rife at the BBC, according to a union survey.

In a nation-wide survey of broadcasting journalists 87 per cent of those who had experienced bullying worked for the corporation. The survey was carried out by the NUJ.

BBC staff told the union they had endured bullying by managers for periods ranging from four months to an astonishing 15 years.

Several said things were so bad they’d had to leave their jobs. Virtually all said the BBC’s procedures for dealing within complaints was totally inadequate.

The union is today (August 22) publishing a 12-page booklet, "NUJ targets the bullies". It is being launched at a special session of the Edinburgh TV Festival.

The findings come as the corporation is promoting a new set of values, which include staff trusting and respecting each other.

But comments from employees paint a different picture. Staff spoke of:

a culture of bullying from the highest level
managers covering up for each other
disciplinary procedures being a sham.

“I’m unwell with stress-related illness, have had almost a year off work and still have nightmares,” said one employee. “I felt hated,” said another.

In the survey, almost half of the respondents came from local radio and regional television, an area where, to quote comments from participants, “short term contracts were used as a weapon to threaten your future,” and “people who lodge complaints are treated as trouble-makers.”

Broadcaster Helen Reed, who collated the responses and is a leading light in the anti-bullying campaign, won an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal against the BBC after being bullied out of her job.

“This shows my experience is far from unique,” she says. “And it’s just a sample of members who were not too frightened to fill in the form. Multiply it through the BBC and it’s a serious problem.”

BBC Director-General Greg Dyke announced in May that he is sending hundreds of managers on courses. “Sending bullies on expensive training courses won’t solve the problem," says Helen Reed. "They need to be removed from ‘managing and damaging’ people. It’s not about money but taking real responsibility and wanting to end the culture of fear and intimidation.

“Of the bullies identified, 92 per cent were known to be serial bullies – and 94 per cent of respondents said they had no faith in internal procedures.”

NUJ National Broadcasting Organiser Paul McLaughlin said: ”Bullying is a serious concern in many workplaces and is prevalent in the media. As a public organisation, the BBC should lead by example and agree an independent procedure with the union to restore our members' faith and help to eradicate this scourge in our industry.”

The NUJ will be launching the results of the survey at the Edinburgh TV festival on Friday August 22^nd. There will be a special session on bullying, organised by Sky and the Media Guardian, called "Suffering in Silence", at 4.15pm on Friday afternoon at the Edinburgh International Conference centre. Helen Reed will be on a panel.

Copies of the booklet "NUJ targets broadcasting bullies" are available from Tracey Trickett on 0207 843 3726. It can also be forwarded to you as a pdf.

Contact: Paul McLaughlin 0207 843 3726 or 07803 050 865

Helen Reed: via www.helenreed.co.uk

NUJ web page

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