Entertainment

EastEnders chaos: camera and sound crew strike

Pascale De Bom
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: (UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS OUT) The cast of Eastenders including Steve McFadden and Barbara Windsor pose with the TV Soap Award in the press room at the TRIC Awards 2010 held at The Grosvenor House Hotel on March 9, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

EastEnders was thrown into chaos yesterday as camera and sound crew went on strike.

Nine staff walked out for three hours, forcing the BBC to use freelancers to ensure filming went ahead.

Workers protested at having allowances for travelling between BBC Television Centre in London and Elstree Studios, Herts, cancelled, costing them between £5,000 and £10,000 a year each.

They were already upset over working conditions.

Union Bectu has organised more strikes for this month, although an EastEnders spokeswoman insisted they would not halt production.

The BBC said: “We cannot afford to reimburse travel-towork claims at a time where other colleagues are losing their jobs.”