170 female BBC employees have accused the broadcaster of a “longstanding breach of trust, transparency and accountability” over gender pay inequalities and demanded a public apology.
In a submission to an influential parliamentary select committee, the BBC Women group said the corporation was breaking equality laws as a result of a “culture of gender discrimination”.
While recent disclosures have revealed a significant gender pay gap among the BBC’s top stars, the group said the same exists across all levels of the corporation.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee will grill Tony Hall, the BBC Director-General, on Wednesday as part of its inquiry into BBC pay. Carrie Gracie, the broadcaster’s former China Editor who resigned earlier this month over pay inequality, will also be questioned.
It comes after The Independent revealed MPs’ concern that the BBC is using non-disclosure agreements to “silence” victims of gender discrimination and harassment. In addition to the DCMS Committee, the Women and Equalities Committee is also looking at the issue.
Since the BBC was forced to admit to gaping pay discrepancies, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has taken up the cases of more than 120 female BBC employees who believe they are being paid unfairly in comparison to male colleagues.
A recent audit found the BBC has a gender pay gap of 9.3 per cent. However, BBC Women said the problem was not just a disproportionate number of men in higher-paid roles but the fact that many women are being paid less than male counterparts in exactly the same jobs.
In written evidence to the DCMS Committee, they said: “BBC Women are very concerned that this publicly funded body is perpetuating a longstanding breach of its stated values of trust, transparency and accountability. We believe the BBC must put these matters right by admitting the problem, apologising and setting in place an equal, fair and transparent pay structure.”
They added: “For many years women at all levels and in all grades and positions in the BBC both on and off air, staff and freelance, working in the UK and abroad had suspected they were not being paid equally – even when management expressly assured them they were.”
“Following the publication of the list as women began to come together, sharing salary details with each other and with some male colleagues, a shocking picture of illegal pay discrimination and obfuscation began to emerge.”
Suggesting the pay gap is part of a wider problem, they said: “Behind the headline and most important issue of equal pay at the BBC we believe there is a wider culture of gender discrimination which can be seen in the patterns of promotion, especially after women take maternity leave.
“Too often talented BBC women are overlooked in favour of male colleagues or outsiders brought in – sometimes at inflated rates – without the appointment being made through any transparent appointment process. Older women worry about their futures at the BBC and younger ones about their chances of career promotion.
The group also criticised the BBC for not consulting them on a largescale review of pay inequality.
“Despite repeated requests to Lord Hall, the Director General, there has been no consultation with us on this review and no clarity around the people included in it”, they said. “Therefore women at the BBC can have no confidence in the review’s conclusions.”
The submission included testimony from a number of female BBC employees.
Source : The Independent
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