STV staff strike Friday over pay freeze, Bbc News Scotland reports
About 120 journalists and broadcast staff at STV are expected to strike on Friday, and news scotland says the action is set to hit Scotland election counts. The unions have targeted election reporting for a second strike this year. STV says the dispute will affect on-air audiences.
Rufus Radcliffe letter
Rufus Radcliffe told staff in a letter on Thursday morning that the salary freeze had not been decided lightly. He said STV had reorganised its bank loans, suspended dividend payments to shareholders and restructured pension deficit payments, and added: “We are now prioritising job security and delivering financial sustainability.”
He also wrote: “We decided that to make a salary award in 2026 would be fiscally irresponsible and potentially give rise to the need to identify further costs savings later this year, a situation I am firmly committed to seeking to avoid as we stabilise the business and return to growth.”
NUJ and Bectu strike plan
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the NUJ Scotland organiser, said: “Every NUJ member in the STV newsroom would much rather be broadcasting from election counts rather than having to fight to be paid a fair wage, but they have been left with no choice when the company has decided to spend that money on a new commercial radio station instead.”
He added: “While the company faces financial challenges, none of that is down to the hard-working staff at STV News who produce the most watched evening programme in Scotland. We believe that a solution to this dispute is still in reach.”
The National Union of Journalists and Bectu say STV imposed a company-wide pay freeze after a significant fall in revenues. Staff are also angry at cuts to personnel numbers and plans to heavily reduce news coverage from northern Scotland, while STV is investing money in launching a radio station.
Ofcom merger decision
STV’s revenues last year fell by 6% to £176.9m, while ad revenue declined by 10% to £89.3m. Ofcom postponed a decision on the merger of news outputs from STV Central and STV North into one programme until after the Holyrood election, and it is expected to approve the merger later this month subject to minor changes.
An STV spokesperson said on Thursday that the unions’ chosen day of action will impact on-air audiences and that the company remains committed to continuing the dialogue with the joint unions. For viewers following election coverage, the immediate effect is straightforward: Friday’s counts are the point most likely to be reduced or disrupted while the pay dispute continues.
