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BBC China editor Carrie Gracie quits in gender pay row | BBC China editor Carrie Gracie quits in gender pay row |
(35 minutes later) | |
The BBC's China editor Carrie Gracie has resigned from her post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues. | |
In an open letter, Ms Gracie - who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - accused the corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture". | In an open letter, Ms Gracie - who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - accused the corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture". |
She said the BBC was facing a "crisis of trust", after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male. | |
The BBC said there was "no systemic discrimination against women". | The BBC said there was "no systemic discrimination against women". |
Ms Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation's Beijing bureau last week, but would remain with the BBC. | Ms Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation's Beijing bureau last week, but would remain with the BBC. |
She said she would return to her former post in the TV newsroom "where I expect to be paid equally". | She said she would return to her former post in the TV newsroom "where I expect to be paid equally". |
In the open letter, Ms Gracie said "the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer. | In the open letter, Ms Gracie said "the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer. |
"I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure." | "I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure." |
Ms Gracie said she was dismayed to discover that the BBC's two male international editors earned "at least 50% more" than its two female editors. | |
"Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's." | |
She said she then had called for the corporation's four international editors to be paid equally. | |
"Instead the BBC offered me a big pay rise which remained far short of equality," she added. | |
'Fairness is vital' | |
She said: "I believe I am very well paid already - especially as someone working for a publicly funded organisation. | |
"I simply want the BBC to abide by the law and value men and women equally." | "I simply want the BBC to abide by the law and value men and women equally." |
She said "patience and good will are running out" among staff. | |
A BBC spokeswoman said "fairness in pay is vital". | |
"A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average. | |
"Alongside that, we have already conducted a independent judge led audit of pay for rank and file staff which showed 'no systemic discrimination against women'. | |
"A separate report for on air staff will be published in the not too distant future." |