JOURNALISTS and technical staff at STV walked out today — on the day of the Holyrood election results over a pay row.

An episode of game show The Chase replaced an election programme that had been scheduled for 5pm as members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) slammed a temporary salary freeze as a “real-terms pay cut.”

NUJ Scotland organiser Nick McGowan-Lowe said: “It’s frustrating that due to the stubbornness of STV management, on the biggest news day in Scotland for years, Scottish viewers, listeners and readers won’t be able to hear what some of the most well-respected journalists, reporters and producers in Scottish broadcasting have to say.”

NUJ and Bectu members manned pickets outside the free-to-air public broadcaster’s offices in Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Bectu negotiations officer for Scotland Paul McManus said: “Staff at STV have been left with no choice but to take this action.

“They are being asked to take a real-terms pay cut against the backdrop of rocketing prices and when they are already overworked.

“As usual it is workers being asked to take the financial hit while STV seems able to find money to invest in other areas of the business.”

He warned the pay freeze is having a “brutal” effect on people’s incomes and that members could “absolutely” take more industrial action.

An STV spokesperson said: “We recognise a temporary salary freeze is challenging for colleagues, but we’ve had to take a range of measures to respond to the market conditions facing the media sector.”

Last year, STV announced plans to axe its dedicated north programme, along with up to 60 jobs across the company.