A number of BBC journalists joined the National Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) 24-hour nation-wide strike on Monday due to a dispute over compulsory redundancies.

The strike was called after the NUJ failed to reach an agreement with the BBC management over the deployment of 30 employees facing compulsory redundancies. Several BBC programmes were affected as a result of the walkout.

According to reports, Compulsory redundancies have been threatened at BBC Scotland, 5 live, the Asian Network and the World Service, among others.

The deployments are part of BBC’s Delivering Quality First programme, in which an estimated 2,000 jobs will be cut over the next five years to reduce operation costs.

BBC responded in a statement: “We are disappointed that the NUJ has gone ahead with today’s strike and apologise to our audience for the disruption to services. Unfortunately industrial action does not alter the fact that the BBC has significant savings targets and as a consequence may have to make a number of compulsory redundancies. We have made considerable progress in reducing the need for compulsory redundancies through volunteers, redeployment and cancelling vacant positions and we will continue with these efforts.”