Summary of complaint
We have received complaints about a lack of coverage of recent strike action which took place in various sectors in March 2023.
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Our response
In the week commencing Monday 13 March, workers in many sectors went on strike over issues such as pay and working conditions.
On 13 March, we provided widespread coverage of the start of the three-day strike by junior doctors, which was the lead story on Â鶹ԼÅÄ One’s morning news programme ‘Breakfast’, and was one of the lead items on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News at One, Six and Ten. This was also reported throughout the day on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News Channel, on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4’s flagship news programme ‘Today’, and prominently on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News website which featured a Strikes Update page that led with the junior doctors’ strike:
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Our coverage of strike action continued on Tuesday 14 March, featuring on Â鶹ԼÅÄ One’s ‘Breakfast’, and in our main Â鶹ԼÅÄ One news bulletins. This included a report on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News at Six in which our journalist, Navtej Johal, spent the day with one junior doctor on the picket line. The panel on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two’s ‘Politics Live’ also discussed the pay received by civil servants, and the story again featured on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News website.
On Wednesday 15 March, alongside junior doctors, workers in several other sectors also went on strike, including teachers, London Underground staff, civil service workers in various government departments, and Â鶹ԼÅÄ Local Radio staff.
This story was reported on Â鶹ԼÅÄ One’s ‘Breakfast’, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4’s ‘Today’, and again featured as a main item on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ News at One, which also highlighted the rally taking place in London. While later bulletins led with what had been announced in the new Budget, our coverage of this story reflected that industrial action was taking place.
The Â鶹ԼÅÄ News website also featured several articles on strikes by workers in various sectors:
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Across our coverage we have made clear the reasons for the strikes, and heard from those participating to provide our audience with a better understanding of the issues involved. We are also providing ongoing coverage of this story as negotiations continue to take place, and will reflect any new developments as they come to light.