New BBC staff forced to agree their pay is ‘fair’

BBC staff are being made to sign contracts confirming their pay is ‘fair’ following the gender pay row at the broadcaster.

A clause has been rushed in following the pay crisis which has seen hundreds of women raise concerns about their salaries.

A line in the employment document, seen by the Mail, states that recruits agree the ‘fee’ they are being offered is ‘fair and equitable’.

The new contracts illustrate a desperate attempt to try and fend off equal pay claims – which could lead to the BBC shelling out millions if it emerges women have been underpaid for carrying out the same jobs as men.

Since last year’s rich list, which saw the salaries of anyone earning more than £150,000 published for the first time, hundreds of women have asked for their pay to be investigated. The movement prompted the resignation of former China Editor Carrie Gracie over gender pay, while many highprofile female stars have launched scathing attacks on the BBC.

The new terms laid out in the contracts have horrified workers at the corporation – who are still locked in battles with bosses over equal pay.

New recruits are terrified that if they sign the agreement they will have no legal recourse if they learn they are not being paid fairly.

A source, who is part of the independent group BBC Women, said: ‘This tells you everything you need to know about the fact that the culture hasn’t changed. That they are still trying to trip women up and keep them quiet.

‘Even in the light of everything we have been through in the last 12 months, they are still at it.’

Those signing the contracts may have no way of knowing their pay is fair and equal because the system at the BBC has been branded ‘opaque’ – with only those earning more than £150,000 seeing their wages disclosed.

To add further insult to injury, another line in the document adds that recruits cannot ‘disclose’ details of their pay to any third party. The contracts have been given to ‘freelancers’ working for the BBC, a common arrangement in the television industry which could apply to thousands of people engaged by the broadcaster.

The revelations come after the BBC this week had to admit its top 12 earners were still all white men despite a year of pressure from MPs. The corporation’s rich list showed there were just three women in the top 25 earners taking home more than £150,000.

Gary Lineker, the highest paid employee, was handed £1.7million last year – whereas the top paid woman Claudia Winkleman earned up to £379,999 through the licencefee funded arm of the organisation. Although the BBC has repeatedly pledged to be more transparent, it also hid the salaries of at least 24 top earners who were all raking in six-figure sums. The BBC has been allowed to hush up outgoings through its commercial entity BBC Studios, which is not subject to the same scrutiny as the tax-payer funded arm.