STV journalists and technical staff have gone on strike over a pay dispute, affecting Holyrood election count day coverage.
Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said their members, along with those of Bectu, which represents technical staff, are taking action against a pay freeze which the unions say amounts to “a pay cut in real terms”.
Friday's action will impact STV's coverage of the Holyrood election results, with an episode of game show The Chase replacing an election show that had been scheduled for 5pm.
STV said the broadcaster will remain with the Channel 3 network schedule throughout the day, except at 6pm, when an episode of Sean's Scotland will be broadcast, with regular election updates provided on the STV News digital service and on STV Radio.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, organizer of NUJ Scotland, said: “It is frustrating that due to the stubbornness of STV management, on the biggest news day in Scotland for years, Scottish viewers, listeners and readers are unable to hear what some of Scottish broadcasting's most respected journalists, reporters and producers have to say.
“Our members would rather report election results than picket, but they have been driven to this action by management's indifference to overwork and underpayment.
“Chief executive Rufus Radcliffe has once again failed to seize the opportunity to end this dispute, and personally finds it embarrassing that STV is broadcasting reruns instead of Scotland's biggest news story.”
Members of NUJ and Bectu are picketing outside STV's offices in Glasgow and Aberdeen on Friday.
Paul McManus, Bectu's head of negotiations for Scotland, said: “STV staff have had no choice but to take this action.
“They are asked to accept a salary cut in real terms in a context of skyrocketing prices and when they are already overloaded with work.
“As always, workers are being asked to take the financial hit, while STV appears able to find money to invest in other areas of the business.”
McManus said the pay freeze is having a “brutal” effect on people's incomes and members are struggling to pay their bills and feed their families.
He said members could “absolutely” take further industrial action and that talks would be held with them and the NUJ in the next two weeks to decide what steps to take next.
McManus said: “The intention on our part is that today's action demonstrates to the company how important it is that they get back to the table quickly.”
Commenting on members being on strike on election count day, he said: “There comes a point where they have to choose between doing their job, the job they love, or paying the bills.
“And they hoped, they hope, that by choosing to take action today on such an important day in Scottish life, the company will finally understand how angry they are with the situation the company has put these people in.”
An STV spokesperson said: “We recognize that a temporary pay freeze is a challenge for colleagues, but we have had to take a number of measures to respond to the market conditions facing the media sector.
“Returning the business to a solid financial footing is our priority and will protect the long-term interests of our colleagues.
“We are disappointed that the day of action chosen by the unions will affect our on-air audiences and remain committed to continuing dialogue with the joint unions.”
The strike comes after STV last year announced plans to ax its dedicated northern programme, along with up to 60 jobs across the company.
It will replace the northern program with a single program from Glasgow, which will include sections dedicated to regional news.
STV said its proposal will include the creation of a new STV News At 6 programme, with STV Central and STV North licensees sharing and co-producing production.
The program will include a shared section broadcast by both licenses (70%) with contributions from across Scotland, as well as separate sections with content specific to each license (30%).
The company has applied to regulator Ofcom for permission to reduce its public service broadcasting obligations and remove regionalized versions of the flagship News At 6 across its two channels and three license areas.
Ofcom has said it will not publish a decision on the proposals until after the Scottish election.
