BBC staff face a crackdown on overtime and special allowances as part

of a package to save #50m this year and an additional #25m in 1995-96,

it was disclosed yesterday.

One senior executive claimed the efficiency drive would save jobs but

another said further redundancies were likely.

The BBC, which was yesterday negotiating the package of changes with

the unions, sees more flexible working methods, introduced over the next

three years from April, as being a key feature of the package.

An overtime crackdown is expected and an unpredictability allowance,

compensating staff for last-minute rota changes, will no longer be

automatic.

Annual personal performance reviews will allow managers to award above

the standard pay rise to high fliers but less to low performers. There

will also be a new grading system.

Personnel director Margaret Salmon said jobs would be saved as a

result of the package.

''It may well make staff anxious but it will leave them with a

competitive total pay package,'' she added.

The 11,000 staff in the resources directorate -- such as camera teams,

technicians, and make-up people -- would be most affected.

The latest phase of director-general John Birt's ambition to make the

BBC the best-managed public service institution is intended to make

individual business units increasingly effective so that more of the

licence fee goes into making programmes.

Resources managing director Rod Lynch said there had been considerable

pain already within the corporation in achieving the #100m savings so

far and admitted further redundancies were likely.