Strike Could Affect Transmitters

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Members of the broadcasting union BECTU, working for communications giant ntl, are due to start industrial action on March 31 over new terms and conditions.

The action, which includes an overtime ban and withdrawal of out-of-hours cover by more than 500 union members, could affect ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and commercial radio transmitters across the UK, as well as emergency services like the Metropolitan Police, who use ntl to provide their radio communications facilities.

The last industrial action among ntl staff was more than 20 years ago, when the company was owned by the now-defunct Independent Broadcasting Authority.

A meeting of BECTU representatives from ntl this week voted to go ahead with industrial action, and set up an action team which will oversee details of the protest.