Highly paid strikers

[tobyaw]

Journalists at the BBC went on strike. The world didn’t stop. A few unfamiliar faces appeared on the BBC News channel; maybe this is a good career break for them.

I find it quite disturbing seeing highly-paid BBC journalists striking. Some of the presenters who didn’t work during the strike earn astonishingly high salaries. Due to the unique way that the BBC is funded, we collectively feel a sense of ownership of the BBC; these strikers are working for us. Of course some of the striking journalists are on relatively low salaries too, but one has to imagine that even for them working at the BBC is a pretty cushy job compared to commercial television news, or newspapers.

I can’t understand why anyone who pays high-rate tax should be allowed to strike. They should sack the lot of them; that would save the BBC some money.

Comments

[ormsweird.livejournal.com]

But Toby, you're a Conservative. You'd sack everyone!

:)

[silme.livejournal.com]

I think it's more that they didn't cross the picket line rather than actually striking themselves.

You might compare it to the Screen Actors Guild strikes in the US. It looks odd to see millionaire actors carrying picket signs, but those actors represent the minority of SAG members, most of whom make very little money. The well-paid ones generally support the strikes simply to support those lower-paid union members.