BBC staff in Cairo launched on Monday a 10-day strike, with a possibility of extension, to protest against low salaries and over what they claim to be discriminatory financial behavior by the London management, according to a statement by the staff published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled al-Balshy.
The strike is the third in almost three months. It came following a one-day strike on 14 June and a three-day strike in July.
The strike was triggered by what the journalists described as management's intransigence in solving their problem and of adopting an unfair financial policy that discriminates between them and their colleagues who operate in the Middle East.
The British Association of Journalists (BAJ) expressed on Monday “solidarity” with the strikers.
“We are following the crisis and providing guidance to the staff in their dealings and negotiations with the administration,” Sherine Sherif, vice-chairman of the trade union committee representing BBC World Service, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
However, she stressed that the BAJ cannot represent journalists in Egypt, who remain subject to local laws in their country of work. “We have repeatedly issued statements to support their position,” Sherif added.
The strikers accused BBC management of “wasting any possible opportunities for serious negotiations” during three meetings held between them and Balshy as they only offered minor pay raises for workers and not proportional to the declining value of the Egyptian pound.”
They have been demanding financial rights equal to their colleagues in other offices in the region.
The BBC staff in Cairo further denounced the disciplinary measures taken against them by cutting the days during which they went on strike from their salaries.
Meanwhile, the BBC management rejected any form of negotiations with the strikers until they resumed their duties.
In response, the BBC Cairo journalists declined to comment, stressing that what was stated in the statement was sufficient.
