Siemens staff who provide the BBC's technology, transmission and IT services are balloting for industrial action over a pay freeze.

Broadcasting union Bectu is sending out ballot papers today and is advising members at Siemens to vote in favour of industrial action. The ballot closes on 19 March.

The pay freeze comes after more than 70 redundancies among Siemens staff working on the BBC contract, according to Bectu.

Siemens has provided technology, transmission and IT services to the BBC since the sale in 2005 of BBC Technology, which saw about 1,400 corporation staff transfer to the German company.

"This pay freeze comes as a real double whammy for our members; with the level of redundancies that we've already endured, and continue to face, it's not even as if a pay freeze is safeguarding jobs," said Bectu national official Suresh Chawla.

"Whilst colleagues within the BBC, and in other service partner companies, are receiving modest pay increases and with inflation now hitting 3.7%, Siemens' position is untenable. We have no option but to ballot our members for industrial action. We hope to be able to resume talks with the employer once they're able to make an offer."

Siemens is also consulting Bectu about further restructuring and the employer is outsourcing more than 50 jobs in server operations to Romania.

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