BBC staff get salary boost as over-75s pay for licences

Broadcaster criticised for finding pay rise funds but not passing on savings to the viewing public

THE BBC has been accused of not passing on savings to licence fee payers, as it awarded staff the biggest pay rise in a decade.

Employees across the corporation will enjoy the largest salary boost in 10 years, with bosses yesterday unveiling plans for the majority of staff to receive a 4.24 per cent pay rise in August, which will then be supplemented by a further 1 per cent increase.

The BBC is facing criticism for managing to find funds for a pay rise despite recently scrapping concessions for over-75s over budgetary concerns, with critics questioning how it is spending cash raised by the £159 licence fee.

Pay for public sector workers increased by 1.9 per cent in the year to February, according to the ONS. The broadcaster’s wage increase is closer to the private sector, where pay rose by 6.2 per cent in the same period.

The BBC said the pay deal for its rank and file employees is a “fair deal to licence fee payers and to staff ”, and was made possible by cutting its staff numbers by 1,200 last year, but there are concerns that recent savings made by the slimmed-down corporation are not being passed on to the public.

MPS yesterday said funding should be focused on local news services and licence fee concessions for those in need, with Andrew Bridgen, a Tory MP, saying the rise “shows there is clearly no cost of living crisis at the BBC”.

Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices group that campaigned to retain the free TV licence for over-75s, said that “the BBC seems to have no problem finding money for themselves”, but not for pensioners.

He added: “They say they have made savings but it doesn’t look like these are being passed on to us.”

It is understood the increase for “rank and file” employees has been made possible by savings made under Tim Davie, the director-general, who has aimed to streamline the BBC.

These have been made by trimming down staff numbers, but insiders have suggested that the BBC needs competitive wages in order to compete with rivals, and Mr Davie has argued that some savings should be used on wages which can attract and retain employees.

He said: “The BBC is the home of creative excellence and world-beating impartial journalism. We want our staff to thrive, produce their best work and feel valued for their output.

“The BBC is smaller but we also need to attract and retain world-class talent, within a reformed, modern and efficient organisation that provides great value to audiences.”