Unions respond to the BBC Charter Review, calling for worker representation

Two trade unions have responded to the BBC Charter Review with demands for greater worker representation and political independency. The NUJ and Equity, who have substantial number of members in the BBC, have laid out te reforms they believe are necessary to guarantee public service broadcasting.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for worker representation on the BBC board and an end to political appointments – changes supported by almost all members working at the broadcaster.

The union has responded to the government’s BBC Charter Review consultation, calling for significant governance reforms and a secure funding settlement that guarantees the BBC’s universality and enables quality public service journalism locally, nationally and internationally.

The union surveyed hundreds of its members at the BBC and beyond to inform its submission. Nearly all respondents (99%) agreed that the BBC should always be universally accessible and protected from commercial and political influence, while nine in ten members working at the broadcaster said they want to see workers sitting on the BBC board, with at least a quarter of seats filled by employees from non-management roles.

The BBC board and its chair should be chosen by an arms-length body to protect the BBC from government interference and guarantee greater independence, the union also said.

The NUJ’s call to end political appointments to the board was backed by 91% of those surveyed at the broadcaster. The BBC’s own Charter Review submission also recommends “changes to board appointment processes, composition and roles” to strengthen independence safeguards.

Universality and funding

Members strongly rejected the introduction of advertising and subscription models that would lead to a two-tier service.

The NUJ has consistently called for sustained increases to the licence fee and opposed cuts and freezes that have resulted in job losses and reductions to the BBC’s coverage. In recent weeks the BBC announced further job cuts with the disbanding of the central investigations team, plus cuts to live and daily news. This was followed by the BBC’s outgoing director general Tim Davie informing staff that the corporation aims to cut a further 10% from its total costs by the end of 2028/29 – a decision criticised by the union.

The BBC, in its Charter Review response, urges the government to put its Royal Charter on a permanent footing, ending its fight for survival every ten years. It also said, “the current [funding] model is not sustainable and needs reform,” with the broadcaster currently missing out on more than £1bn a year due to fee evasion and cancellations.

While the union supports sustained increases to the licence fee, members said they are open to engagement on alternative funding mechanisms – including progressive taxation – so long as these boost the BBC’s budget and protect its universality.

The NUJ has longstanding policy which mirrors the BBC’s assertion that funding of the World Service “should move back to the UK government and include safeguards so that future funding is secure and stable.”

The NUJ’s consultation response reflected strong member support for continuing the vital work of the BBC World Service in providing quality, trusted news to audiences around the globe. Earlier this month, Tim Davie warned that the World Service will run out of funding in just weeks with no future deal with the government currently in place. Last week, the NUJ signed an open letter calling for the UK government to urgently resolve this.

The union also called for a number of changes to support workers at the BBC. This includes improved pay and conditions to retain experienced staff and maintain quality editorial standards, increased efforts to tackle the gender and ethnic pay gap, and more training opportunities.

Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:

This is an historic opportunity for the government to be bold and back the BBC and its workers.

Two trade unions with membership at the BBC, the NUJ and Equity, have responded to the BBC’s Charter

Our members are united in calling for secure, bolstered funding, real independence and proper representation on the BBC’s board.

We reject any form of commercialisation. The BBC is an essential public service, reaching 94% of people across the UK and remaining the most trusted source of news at a time of social media disinformation, AI-generated slop, and narrowing media ownership. It must remain universally funded and accessible.

The government must demonstrate that it has the courage, vision, and ambition to deliver the funding and systemic reforms that will guarantee the BBC’s future at the centre of UK cultural life for decades to come.

Equity, the performing arts and entertainment union, welcomed the BBC’s response to the ongoing government consultation about the corporation’s future, in particular the call for “radical reforms” to ensure “a BBC for all.” The BBC has published its response to the government’s Green Paper ahead of the closing date next week.

Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary, said:

It is heartening to see that the BBC recognises trade unions as essential partners in ensuring good jobs across the UK. We look forward to the government solidifying this commitment to the BBC’s vast and varied workforce when it publishes the White Paper later this year.

In its submission, the BBC says it supports 77,000 jobs. We say 77,000 workers support the BBC. Their voices must be heard, and Equity and our fellow trade unions are here to ensure that they are.”

Equity represents performers who work on BBC productions, including soap operas, dramas and audio dramas; also holding the collective agreement which lays out the pay, terms and conditions for those working on BBC-Equity contracts, including safety and harassment processes.

As part of Equity’s submission on BBC Charter Renewal, the union is calling for:

• A Workforce Covenant recognising that BBC commissioning and operational decisions must respond to the needs of the workforce as well as audiences, and imposing a legal duty to conduct workforce impact assessments and implement mitigation measures;
• Workforce representation on the BBC Board;
• A fair distribution of BBC investment across the nations and regions, starting with the Midlands;
• A substantial and guaranteed level of investment in audio drama series;
• A continuing or returning drama series that films for more than six months of the year in each of the UK’s Ofcom-defined reporting areas;
• And an enforceable commitment to abide by an ethical and rights-based approach to AI, including seeking artists’ agreement to any use of generative AI and consulting relevant unions in that regard.