Kirsty goes into battle with BBC over equal pay
THE BBC’S top female stars yesterday demanded a ‘quick’ release of ‘meaningful data’ on the gender pay gap, as the corporation announced major plans to tackle the issue.
Presenters including Kirsty Wark, Victoria Derbyshire, Mishal Husain, Louise Minchin and Jane Garvey, issued a statement insisting on ‘full transparency’ and swift solutions to ‘rectify injustices’.
They said they expected to see positive change ‘before the end of the year’ as they want to ‘change things for women in broadcasting now and reassure young women combeginning ing into the industry’.
Three days ago, BBC directorgeneral Lord Hall sat down for lunch with leading female broadcasters – including Miss Wark – to discuss the issue.
The conversation was ‘robust’ and ‘extraordinarily frank’, according to a source who said: ‘At one point some of us began to feel sorry for him. At least the BBC is to confront this issue, which should be of concern to every major employer in the country.
‘He’s wound up having to tackle something that should have been dealt with decades ago.’
Among the most vocal members of staff was Radio 4’s Front Row presenter Samira Ahmed, who wrote on social media: ‘We all stand together. Equal Pay. Fair treatment. For all. Now. Stop the boys’ club privilege.’
Their call, echoed by a number of male colleagues, came as Lord Hall launched three reviews into gender pay, equal pay and the approach to on-air talent.
He claimed that the disparities in pay – which were revealed in the recent disclosure on staff salaries over £150,000 – would be investigated by the independent auditors and that he was ‘determined to close’ the gender gap.
In a speech to staff, he said: ‘We’ll look across each and every job because I want you to be confident that you’re paid fairly. I think we’ll be stronger – demonstrably fair – and more open as a result. We’ve commissioned a report on our gender pay gap – and it’ll be independently audited. Our gap is primarily about the different balance of men and women at different levels.
‘It’s based on the whole picture across the organisation and the causes tend to be structural and societal. That doesn’t mean we should be complacent about it and I’m determined to close the gap – a commitment I don’t think any other organisation in the country has made.’
Licence fee payers and staff were shocked by the discrepancies between men and women doing similar jobs – sometimes sitting side by side on the same show.
On the Today programme, John Humphrys took home up to £650,000 last year, while co-host Mishal Husain earned up to £250,000. Fellow presenter Sarah Montague’s salary was not even enough to register.
It is thought that the result of the gender pay review will be published in six weeks.
However, the high-profile female staff behind the statement said that they would be ‘monitoring developments to ensure real change happens, and quickly’.
Their statement added: ‘The director-general must be in no doubt about how serious an issue equal and fair pay is for women across the organisation.
‘The BBC should be the standard bearer for this.’
‘BBC should be the standard bearer’