BBC women accuse bosses of 'threats' over equal pay requests

Female employees of the BBC have accused the broadcaster's chiefs of “veiled threats” when they asked for equal pay.

BBC Women, a group that represents BBC female journalists and producers, said they believe there is a wide culture of gender discrimination which is seen in promotion patterns and pay figures.

"While individual BBC managers have been supportive there is still a bunker mentality in some quarters and women have experienced veiled threats made against them when they raised the subject of equal pay," the group said in a statement.

Several anonymous testimonies have been brought to light as evidence to MPs, with many women finding that not only did more men generally have higher-earning positions, they also received a higher salary for the exact same job.

One of the testimonies from an award-winning broadcaster claims that she had found her male colleague was being paid 50% more per show and when she asked about the pay gap. the line manager said “the BBC doesn’t do equal pay” and that she was being “aggressive” for bringing up the subject.

A female sports broadcaster has also shared her experience of injustice in the BBC. She claims that while she was being paid £500 for a flagship radio sports programme, the male presenter was being paid £1,200.

“Since raising the issue of equal pay I have been offered £650 which is still a long way short of equal pay. What you are worth is solely at the whim of management who essentially in sport are always men. I’m at the top of my game, knowledgeable and with three decades of experience yet I’m scratching around to earn a living.”

The long-running debate of equal pay at the broadcasting house stems from a report published last summer with the salaries for on-air staff where it was revealed that two thirds of the highest earners were men.

A report published in October revealed that men working for the BBC (on and off air) would earn a 9.3% average more than women.

Now, more than 150 women have put forward written statements to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee for the hearing on Wednesday. PwC have also been reviewing pay and diversity of on-air workers.

BBC director general Tony Hall and former China editor for the BBC Carrie Gracie, who quit over pay discrimination last month, will be questioned by the committee of MPs.

The BBC has proposed a pay cap of £320,000 for its news presenters, editors and correspondents working full time but it has not been fully agreed or signed.

The change, following an outcry about the size of the salaries of the BBC's highest paid stars, will only affect a handful of people but forms part of a wider restructuring of pay of on-air staff.

A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC is committed to equal pay, and we don't accept the assertion we have not been complying with the Equality Act, nor do we offer inferior contracts based on someone's gender or race.

"We want to help women progress in their career and have set out ambitious targets to close the gender pay gap, filled by women. We've also set out action to achieve them.

"We have already set out how we plan to deliver real pay transparency for our staff, and today we'll publish proposals to significantly change how we manage on-air pay so we have a clear, transparent and fair system for the future."