ITV strike: will viewers notice a difference?
Martin Lewis absent from Good Morning Britain as employees walk out over 'huge disparity' in pay
Employees at ITV are staging a 24-hour strike in protest at the "huge disparity" in pay offered to executives and staff.
Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and technicians' union Bectu voted for industrial action in response to a two per cent pay offer from the company.
The unions say the pay rise fails to bring the workforce in line with the cost of living increases over the past ten years and are asking members to protest outside the company's AGM in Westminster today.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
ITV said it was "confident" that viewers would be unaffected. However, Good Morning Britain was the first live show to show signs of a change. Martin Lewis, of moneysavingexpert.com, who normally presents a weekly slot on the programme, tweeted yesterday: "Sadly I won't be doing deals of the week on Good Morn Brit tomorrow due to ITV strike. As NUJ member I prefer not to cross picket lines."
Presenter Susanna Reid did not appear either, although an ITV spokesman told The Guardian she had a "day's holiday which was planned as part of the post-election coverage".
The newspaper says there are also reports that the company rescheduled filming for Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and pre-recorded its lunchtime show Loose Women.
According to the Press Gazette, most of the journalists taking part in the action work on ITV's regional news programmes.
Insiders at ITV Granada told the Manchester Evening News that there was "chaos" behind the scenes, with "employees working overtime and celebrity guests having to be rebooked".
ITV said it made an above-inflation pay increase on top of the 11.5 per cent of pay rises over the last four years and claimed that it was the "only UK broadcaster to pay the living wage".
But Gerry Morrissey, Bectu general secretary, said staff were "very unhappy" with the offer. "There is a huge disparity between the pay offered to staff and the bonus package to executives as well as shareholder dividends," he said. "Our members are helping to make the profits but are not sharing in them."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular – an 'exhilarating and life-affirming' show
The Week Recommends 'Showstopping' set-pieces have audience in 'raptures' at Glasgow Hydro
By The Week UK Published
-
A Different Man: 'original and daring' film starring Marvel veteran Sebastian Stan
The Week Recommends 'Bleakly funny' satire explores the very different lives of two men with neurofibromatosis
By The Week UK Published
-
Our Evenings: Alan Hollinghurst's 'finest' novel yet
The Week Recommends A gay, half-Burmese actor looks back on his life in this 'compellingly fresh' book
By The Week UK Published
-
Holly Willoughby: TV presenter quits This Morning after 'kidnap plot'
Why Everyone's Talking About The 42-year-old abruptly left the ITV flagship show after 14 years as presenter when police made an arrest
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Free app access for The Week’s subscribers during Royal Mail strikes
Speed Read If you have a subscription to The Week magazine you can read the digital edition on your tablet or phone
By The Week Staff Published
-
Comic Relief to end ‘white saviour’ celebrity trips to Africa
Speed Read Charity’s appeal videos described by critics as ‘poverty porn’ and ‘devoid of dignity’
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to star in ‘fly-on-the-wall’ Netflix reality show
Speed Read Former minister accuses couple of ‘exploiting’ royal links with big-bucks deal
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Royal officials to ‘scrutinise’ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $150m Netflix deal
Speed Read Duke and Duchess of Sussex have inked agreement to produce documentaries and films for the streaming service
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pitch mystery project idea to Hollywood
Speed Read The Sussex royals have been shopping their concept around tinseltown since June
By Aaron Drapkin Published
-
Meghan Markle ‘furious’ over Palace’s failure to defend her ‘against true stories’
Speed Read Legal documents say she felt unprotected by the royal ‘institution’ - but insiders claim press team were powerless
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Ronan Farrow: is Harvey Weinstein’s arch-enemy ‘too good to be true’?
Speed Read Pulitzer-winning #MeToo journalist rejects New York Times columnist’s allegations of ‘shakiness’ in his work
By The Week Staff Last updated