BBC workers hit out at 'sackings by video'

Furious BBC staff have accused director-general Mark Thompson of creating a "climate of fear".

Employees claim he has deliberately kept them in the dark about the details of massive job cuts.

It comes after Mr Thompson yesterday announced the first wave of cuts, which will contribute to ?355 million savings. In a video played to members of the BBC's 3,200-strong professional services teams, he said nearly 50 per cent of their jobs would go - many from London. Mr Thompson indicated that 980 would be made redundant and a further 750 "outsourced".

Broadcast union Bectu today described the announcements as "sacking by VHS" and said BBC staff had watched the film "in disbelief-". A union spokesman added: "Voluntary redundancies will be challenged by any means at our disposal, including industrial action."

Negotiators are to meet BBC executives tomorrow.

The first cuts affect finance, health and safety, personnel, marketing and legal services. Many have been informed that the detail of who will go is likely to be fleshed out in June - but that actual job losses will not happen until early next year. "It's all very vague," said a well-placed source. "We've been told some will be redundancy, other job losses will be through natural wastage. Or it could be that some jobs won't exist any more, and of those that do, we'll all have to reapply for our old jobs."

Staff hit out at the 13-minute videotape. In it, Mr Thompson, director of television Jana Bennett and other executives laid out their

vision for the future of the BBC.

"It was all about the digital future and how challenging it was going to be and we're all going to have to work in a clever way," said one employee who watched the film.

"It was no reflection on us because we all work hard, blah blah. It was like a party political broadcast. The usual PR tripe."

Further announcements are expected later this month about the cuts needed for 15 per cent " efficiency savings" imposed across programme-making, including news and current affairs.