Four out of five BBC Technology workers vote for strike

LONDON - 84% of Bectu union members at BBC Technology have voted for strike action following the corporation's plans to sell the division to German electronics group Siemens.

In a ballot that attracted a 68% turnout a day after the first meeting between Bectu and Siemens, 83.8% of workers voted for industrial action.

It was announced on Thursday that Siemens had been selected as the preferred bidder to take ownership of the company in a deal worth £2bn.

Managers from Siemens agreed to a pension scheme comparable with the BBC's but could not guarantee long-term contracts for its 1,400 employees.

The union is also contesting the September 1 2004 sale date, saying it was too close for proper negotiations to take place.

Siemens turned down Bectu demands for a three-year guarantee of no change in terms and conditions and pay increases of inflation plus 2.5% over the same period. The company has promised that there will be no compulsory redundancies at the group for 12 months after the sale date.

Meanwhile, the three staff unions, the NUJ, Amicus and Bectu, have decided to put the improved 2.9% offer straight to members.

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