The BBC insisted today it will not defer the upcoming compulsory redundancies despite the threat of strike action from broadcasting unions.
The corporation said in a statement that while it "recognises that this is a difficult and anxious time for staff" it will not accede to union demands.
The statement added: "In order to deliver the efficiencies and savings needed to invest in the future, the BBC cannot agree to defer the redundancies. As previously agreed, no one facing redundancy will have to leave the BBC before July 1 2006.
"The BBC will continue to liaise with the unions to address staff concerns. But we also have to address the changes we must make to meet the needs and demands of our audiences in the future and to achieve greater value for money for licence fee payers.
"We would also reiterate that this is a three-year change plan, so we anticipate that in some divisions a large proportion of the job losses will still be achieved through staff turnover and voluntary redundancy."
The BBC was responding to today's demands from Bectu, the NUJ and Amicus that the corporation back down from a commitment to write letters informing around 50 staff that they will be laid off - the only remaining job cuts left from this year's target of just over 1,000 jobs, most of which have been achieved voluntarily.
The corporation had agreed not to make any compulsory redundancies before April 1 under a deal thrashed out with the unions after a 24-hour strike last May.
But the unions' ultimatum came after it emerged last week that the BBC will seek nearly 2,000 redundancies in the coming 12 months as part of its plan to cut or outsource up to 6,000 BBC jobs to save £355m annually by 2008.
With the number of compulsory redundancies for this year now down to around 50, the unions have demanded that the corporation defer the cuts to next year, or explain why this cannot be done.
The unions have insisted that if the BBC formally refuses to accept their demands then they will hold a further meeting to consider industrial action.
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