Much anger and frustration from BBC staff in this week's in-house magazine Ariel about Delivering Quality First cuts, with an article and two letters questioning the wisdom. One from the BBC News obituary editor, Nick Serpell, takes issue with recent workshops held to explain DQF to staff. Having attended one of the sessions Serpell asks what "made the most impression on me? Was it the assertions that BBC staff earned more than those employed in other media organisations not being backed up with one single example or by any indication of where and how the information had been obtained? Was it that the various graphs and charts which were presented in support of management arguments contained factual errors, and we have now had an admission that they were not 'entirely accurate'? However, I think the aspect that annoyed me most was being lectured on the need to cut staff salaries in order to save money by three managers each of whom, according to BBC figures, earns well in excess of £100,000 a year. Perhaps they'd like to hear my plan to cut BBC costs ... ." Monkey wonders if they will be taking him up on his offer.
