Do working women deserve equal pay?

I AM at a loss to understand the row over the gender pay gap at the BBC. Surely in every case, female or male, the pay level was negotiated between employer and employee. No one was forced to take the job, so why the tears?

M. E. BROWNJOHN, Droitwich, Worcs. AS A female viewer of the BBC, should I pay less for my TV licence than men? CAROL ROWNTREE, Kent.

WHY are some female BBC presenters jealous of the men who negotiated higher pay? That’s how the employment market works. The BBC shouldn’t fall over itself to keep women who are unhappy. Many others are able and willing to do their jobs, and not all the men at the Beeb earn the most. There seems be no problem that Claudia Winkleman is paid more than Nick Robinson, and I know who I think is the most talented. Those who work for the BBC should remember how lucky they are to have their cushy jobs and accept what they get from licence-fee payers.

ROBERT J. EVANS, Birmingham. BBC Radio 2 news reader Moira Stuart earns around £200,000 for a handful of hours on air a month. As a Royal navy submariner working six hours on and six off for up to eight weeks at a time, it would have taken me ten years to earn that sum. STEVE CONWAY, Ardrossan, Ayrshire.

WHILE I’m sure the disgruntled presenters are fine journalists, many women are chosen to present TV shows in their late 20s and early 30s because they don’t have a ‘face for radio’. It is disingenuous to bemoan their remuneration when most of them remain in the organisation that gave them their big break. Men get better rewarded roles by being willing to take demanding posts with other companies.

J. KENT-SMITH, Rainham, Kent.