BBC News is facing a renewed threat of strike action after executives decided to go ahead with compulsory redundancies.
The decision to go ahead with just three compulsory cuts has infuriated staff and unions, who say such a small number of redundancies could be offset by redeployment or holding them over to the next financial year.
Two full time and one part time members of staff in BBC news and current affairs will be made redundant, while a further 30 posts in the division could face the same fate as it attempts to implement the Value For Money cuts being imposed by the director general, Mark Thompson.
Another 100 jobs are set to be cut in the division in the 2007-08 financial year, which runs from April next year.
There is also anger that the division is planning to push through compulsory redundancies while it is still recruiting in other areas, with at least a dozen posts across news and current affairs being advertised.
National Union of Journalists' BBC chapel heads met yesterday and expressed "outrage" at the move, saying the union still had a mandate for strike action.
The NUJ national broadcasting organiser, Paul McLaughlin, said if the corporation doesn't back down then strikes are a possibility.
"It is really quite staggering that we have made such progress in avoiding compulsory cuts and that news management want to cut 2.5 posts," he said.
"Our members have made their position very clear - if this cannot be avoided then they are prepared for further industrial action."
A BBC spokeswoman said despite its "collective best efforts", the news division had been unable to close all the posts it needed through voluntary redundancies and redeployments.
"As a result, we've now indicated, regretfully, that we may have to close a very small number of posts through compulsory redundancy, subject to individual consultation with those who are at risk," she said.
"We will continue to try to seek suitable alternative work for those affected."
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