By Charlotte Webster-
BBC staff have congregated outside Broadcasting House on International Women’s Day to call for equal pay.
Journalists including the corporation’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet and Woman’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey held paper displaying equal signs as they chanted “Equal pay for equal work”.
The crowd cheered for Carrie Gracie, who resigned as BBC China editor earlier this year over pay inequalities, as she was brought to the front of the crowd. Last year, there was a furor over unequal pay between male and female celebs at the BBC, revealed after a freedom of information request forced a full disclosure by the BBC.
The wide disparity in wage rates for high-income male earners and female earners caused a storm after it was revealed that several female staff and presenters were trailing their male counterparts in
Last month, Carrie Gracie has said she resigned as the BBC’s China editor because she could not “collude” in a policy of “unlawful pay discrimination”.
She cited pay inequality with male international editors earning more than her £135,000-a-year salary.
She said she had refused a £45,000 rise as it still left a “big gap” between her and her male counterparts when all she wanted was to be “made equal”. Several other BBC presenters expressed strong support to Gracie.
Gracie told Mp’s at the end of January that she felt the BBC’s response to her grievance was “an insult”. In response, Director general Tony Hall admitted the BBC “got some things wrong”, but added that he “admired her courage”.
He insisted the BBC’s system for dealing with pay complaints was “working” and equality was “at the core of what we stand for” but faced claims from one MP that the broadcaster was in “meltdown” over the issue.