Easter TV schedules face disruption as BBC journalists and technical staff are set to strike over job cuts and workload Union members vote to stage 12-hour walkout next Thursday Protesting 2,000 job cuts, 'unacceptable' working conditions and bullying Easter television schedules are set to be disrupted by a major strike by BBC journalists and technical staff next week. Union members have voted to stage a 12-hour walkout in the lead-up to the four-day weekend in protest at job cuts and 'unacceptable' workloads. Members of the National Union of Journalists and technical union Bectu backed the decision to strike at noon on March 28, the day before Good Friday. Highlights of the Easter weekend including the return of Doctor Who and the Archbishop of Canterbury's first Thought for the Day may suffer from the knock-on effect of the strike. Strike: BBC staff have voted to stage a walkout next Thursday ahead of the Easter weekend The move is the latest development in a long-running between BBC staff and workers over a cost-cutting programme which will eventually lead to the loss of 2,000 jobs. Among NUJ members, 61 per cent voted in favour of a strike, while 56 per cent of Bectu members supported a walk-out. The two unions have repeatedly warned that staff working conditions are being harmed by the 'Delivering Quality First' (DQF) programme. Gerry Morrissey, leader of Bectu, said: 'BBC staff have rejected management's attempts to create a modern-day BBC sweatshop. Current demands on staff are unacceptable and with more job cuts planned it is essential that the BBC takes stock of the impact of DQF on its workforce. The BBC needs to address the issues of workload and harassment, and the way to do that is not by making people redundant. Affected: The Archbishop of Canterbury, left, and Doctor Who's Matt Smith, right, are currently scheduled to appear in programmes being broadcast over Easter Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, has called on the BBC to pause job cuts for the next six months while it engages in negotiations with unions. She said: 'Members are taking strike action next week in a clear message to the BBC that it needs to listen to its staff and properly address the problems created by their ill-conceived and badly implemented cuts programme. It is disappointing that once again the BBC has decided not to properly engage, refusing our call for a moratorium to give space for meaningful discussions on the worrying impact of the cuts. The BBC is adamant that the cuts are having no impact on quality. NUJ members know this is bunkum. Mr Morrissey added: 'Staff concerns about overwork and bullying and harassment are genuine and it's clear to us that any manager who tries to dismiss these concerns is out of touch.' A BBC spokesman said: 'We have had constructive meetings with the unions in recent weeks and agree that it is important to monitor how our staff are affected by the savings we are making. However, our position on compulsory redundancies remains the same, we must progress with those given the significant savings we have to make and strike action simply will not change this. We continue to work extremely hard to redeploy staff and have already succeeded in redeploying nearly double the number of people that have been made redundant. We hope with such a low turnout and relatively small numbers voting for a strike that the unions will reconsider taking industrial action.