Journalists and technicians at the BBC began a 24-hour strike at midnight in protest at plans to cut thousands of jobs. Union leaders say thousands of workers will join the walkout today. The BBC has said it regrets the unions' decision and will do everything it can to broadcast programmes. This report from Torin Douglas:

Hallgassa meg a teljes hírt

News output on radio, television and online is expected to face the severest disruption today. Union leaders say they believe flagship news programmes on BBC radio and television will not be broadcast, and twenty-four-hour news networks will be badly hit.

The three unions - the National Union of Journalists, BECTU and Amicus - say they expect the walkout to be joined by around eleven-thousand workers - out of a BBC staff of twenty-seven-thousand. They say plans to cut almost four-thousand jobs over three years are savage and will damage the BBC's output.

The BBC says the efficiency savings are vital for it to respond to rapid changes in technology and the money will be reinvested in programme services. It's told the unions the strike will damage its relations with the public.

Torin Douglas, BBC, London

Hallgassa meg a kifejezéseket

output
itt: programok

to face the severest disruption
nagy mértékben érintve

flagship
fő

walkout
sztrájk

to cut
lecsökkenteni

savage
kegyetlen

damage
kár

efficiency savings
hatékonysági megtakarítások

reinvested in
újból befektetni vmibe