BBC Arabic said its staff started a strike on Saturday that would last for 6 days. The strike will officially end on August 4. The staff said they are striking over changes in the work place that will increase working hours and called it “inhuman circumstances.” The BBC countered, saying there has been no increase in the hours, as cited in their contracts, but there are “obligations to adhere to these times.” The network apologized to its followers and said they are “sorry” for the changes that might occur to its programs due to the strike. The majority of the 162 National Union for Journalists (NUJ) members among the Arabic Service staff voted in favor of the action. This is the second time that the workers in the BBC go on strike for these reasons. Last January, journalists went on strike leading to all live news programs to be taken off the air with repeats and prerecorded shows replacing them. BM