First BBC gender pay dispute goes to court
Radio presenter Samira Ahmed to claim she was paid less than male colleague in similar role
SAMIRA AHMED next week becomes the first BBC presenter to take the corporation to court over unequal pay.
In an employment tribunal due to begin on Monday, the presenter of Radio 4’s Front Row programme will allege she has been paid less than a male colleague doing a similar job. The case is expected to be the first in a number of claims brought by women that could prove highly embarrassing for the corporation. It is unclear to whom Ms Ahmed will be comparing her pay.
The case is listed at a central London employment tribunal where Ms Ahmed, who also presents Newswatch on the BBC News Channel, will allege “failure to provide equal pay for equal value work” under the Equal Pay Act. The case was lodged in 2018 but is only now due to be heard, it is understood. The BBC said it would not discuss the hearing and Ms Ahmed did not reply to a request for comment. The equal pay row erupted in 2017 after the broadcaster was ordered to publish a list of its highest paid stars, in the process exposing what was described as an “indefensible” gender pay gap. In January 2018 Carrie Gracie resigned as China editor after discovering she was being paid less than equivalent male presenters.
She was later compensated and given an apology, thus becoming one of a number of prominent women understood to have settled outside of court. In the wake of Ms Gracie’s resignation, Ms Ahmed wrote on social media: “Equal pay for equal work of equal value is the law. If it’s happening to #Bbcwomen, it’s happening to you. #istandwithcarrie.”
Since then a group of 170 BBC women have fought for equality, alleging their bosses had for decades underpaid women the world over.
The row resulted in six high profile male presenters agreeing to take cuts in pay.
Ms Ahmed’s case is the first due to be heard in open court and could set a precedent as the first of many. Caroline
Barlow, who in February resigned from heading the design and engineering division, discovered that 15 male colleagues had been paid more than her.
In 2010, Miriam O’reilly forced several BBC executives to attend a tribunal to explain their decision to fire her from Countryfile. She won a claim for age discrimination but had her sex discrimination allegations dismissed.
The BBC is presently being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over allegations of suspected historic pay discrimination against females at the corporation.