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BBC's Carrie Gracie praised as 'brave and brilliant' for quitting over unequal pay Carrie Gracie says support for BBC pay protest shows hunger for change
(about 1 hour later)
The BBC’s outgoing China editor, Carrie Gracie, has been widely praised after she resigned as the BBC’s China editor in protest at unequal pay. The BBC’s China editor, Carrie Gracie, says the support she has received for resigning in protest over unequal pay demonstrates a hunger for change.
Hailed by a string of the corporation’s prominent figures, both male and female, as “brave”, “brilliant” and “principled”, Gracie said in an open letter to licence fee payers the BBC was facing “a crisis of trust” and warned it was breaking employment law by not paying its male and female workers equally. Within hours of posting an open letter to licence fee payers citing a “crisis of trust” at the BBC over men being paid more than women, Gracie has been sent scores of messages of support from a string of prominent broadcasters and politicians.
The BBC has said it is performing “considerably better” than other organisations on gender pay, although a group representing women at the corporation said it knew of up to 200 people who had lodged complaints. Despite being the subject of a news story, Gracie took the unusual step of going ahead with a scheduled appearance as presenter of the BBC’s Today programme on Radio 4.
Gracie, who co-presented the Today programme on Monday morning, was backed by an outpouring of support that saw #IStandWithCarrie become a top trending hashtag. She told the programme how much she had been moved by the support. Interviewed by her co-presenter John Humphrys, whose £600,000-plus pay packet is at least four times more than Gracie’s, she said: “The support that I’ve had in the last few hours over this … does speak to the depth of hunger for an equal, fair and transparent pay system.”
The BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, Radio 4 Today presenter Sarah Montague, and Jane Garvey of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour all described Gracie as “brave and brilliant”. She added: “What is lovely for me is that people are mentioning my China work, because I would not wish to be remembered for ever as the woman who complained about money.”
.@BBCCarrie Gracie is brave and brilliant. Not sure what is so hard to understand about #equalpay for equal work. #IstandwithCarrie Humphrys interrupted her to say “too late, too late”, before going on to praise his colleague’s stint as China editor.
Gracie added: “I want to be remembered as the person who did some fine China work, and enough people are saying that for me to feel that that will not get buried as a result of all this.”
Sarah Montague, the least well paid of the regular Today programme presenters, was one of 130 broadcasters and producers to sign a message of support backing Gracie’s protest.
It urged the BBC to “urgently address pay inequality across the corporation”. And it pointed out that 200 women across the BBC had made pay complaints.
Statement from #bbcwomen in support of @BBCCarrie #EqualPay #IStandWithCarrie pic.twitter.com/tueh1aCW8W
Many of the BBC’s most prominent names also backed Gracie’s stance and hailed her bravery.
.@BBCCarrie is an outstanding and principled journalist and I am proud to stand with her #bbcwomen #equalpay #istandwithcarrie
What an amazing front page @thetimes - ! the women no longer prepared to put up with the stuff they shouldn't ( wasn't actually including reshuffle ) https://t.co/SBWTwBRQJuWhat an amazing front page @thetimes - ! the women no longer prepared to put up with the stuff they shouldn't ( wasn't actually including reshuffle ) https://t.co/SBWTwBRQJu
This is a letter to everyone who loves and values the BBC from one of its finest journalists. @BBCCarrie has resigned as China editor. Please read and retweet. It’s time for #equalpay https://t.co/eSMU3x5aCS #bbcwomen #IStandWithCarrieThis is a letter to everyone who loves and values the BBC from one of its finest journalists. @BBCCarrie has resigned as China editor. Please read and retweet. It’s time for #equalpay https://t.co/eSMU3x5aCS #bbcwomen #IStandWithCarrie
Montague added: “Not sure what is so hard to understand about #equalpay for equal work.” Rival broadcasters also backed her protest. Lindsey Hilsum, international editor at Channel 4 News, criticised the BBC for not valuing their “fluent Chinese speaking China editor” and “renowned authority”.
Male broadcasters from the BBC also shared their thoughts on her resignation. It seems the BBC does not value @BBCCarrie - its fluent Chinese speaking China Editor, a renowned authority as well as a great journalist - bcs it won’t pay her the same as a man. https://t.co/3v94InDcQU
The presenter, Christian Fraser, said there were “a number of awkward conversations ongoing between colleagues, and justifiable anger. Fair pay for same work. I would want it for my daughter. #IstandWithCarrie.” A number of MPs also voiced their support, including the shadow work and pensions secretary, Debbie Abrahams, former deputy party leader Harriet Harman, and former home secretary Jacqui Smith.
Political correspondent Chris Mason described Gracie’s missive as a “zinger of a letter” that was “brave, thoughtful, powerful, forensic, dignified”. BBC News - BBC China editor Carrie Gracie quits post in equal pay row https://t.co/uS1fsHlhbg Well done @BBCCarrie for taking such an important stand. Took great courage.
Senior journalists from rival broadcasters also backed Gracie, among them Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, who said it was “a tragedy for the BBC to lose such a talented China Editor #equalpay”. Devastating letter from @BBCCarrie who’s done a brilliant job as China Editor. BBC don’t deserve talent like her if they can’t get their act together on #equalpay She’s also done a great job on @BBCr4today Perhaps she could replace Humphries. https://t.co/NNXIIloHx3
I said on our programme last week, there are a number of awkward conversations ongoing between colleagues, and justifiable anger. Fair pay for same work. I would want it for my daughter. #IstandWithCarrie Labour’s Jess Phillips tweeted: “Here’s my suggestion. I’ll pay 50% less of my licence fee. I love and would die in ditch for the BBC but this isn’t the gender pay gap even, this is equal pay issue and it’s illegal to pay her less than men doing equivalent work. SORT IT OUT.”
What is so difficult to understand about equal pay for equal work? Read @BBCCarrie's explanation of her reasons for giving up a job she loved and was extremely good at: https://t.co/rASBaCShJb #EqualPay #IStandWithCarrie The Tory MP Nadine Dorries wrote on Twitter: “What a brave lady she is. Absolutely no way any woman under any circumstances should be paid less than any man for doing the same job.”
@BBCCarrie is an outstanding and principled journalist and I am proud to stand with her #bbcwomen #equalpay #istandwithcarrie Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said it was “determined to hold the BBC to account”.
Meanwhile a number of MPs voiced their support, including Labour’s Harriet Harman, Jess Phillips and Barbara Keeley and Conservative MP Nadine Dorries.
Phillips tweeted: “Here’s my suggestion. I’ll pay 50% less of my licence fee. I love and would die in ditch for the BBC but this isn’t the gender pay gap even, this is equal pay issue and it’s illegal to pay her less than men doing equivalent work. SORT IT OUT”
Dorries wrote on Twitter: “What a brave lady she is. Absolutely no way any woman under any circumstances should be paid less than any man for doing the same job.”
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists said it was “determined to hold the BBC to account”.
She said: “It’s no surprise that NUJ member Carrie Gracie is not prepared to stay silent about the injustice wrought upon her by her own employer.She said: “It’s no surprise that NUJ member Carrie Gracie is not prepared to stay silent about the injustice wrought upon her by her own employer.
“Her letter to licence fee payers makes it clear what a difficult decision it has been to speak out about what she calls a crisis of trust at the BBC, but why it is vital that the British public are clear about why she has been forced to resign her post as China Editor and return early to London,” Stanistreet said in a statement.“Her letter to licence fee payers makes it clear what a difficult decision it has been to speak out about what she calls a crisis of trust at the BBC, but why it is vital that the British public are clear about why she has been forced to resign her post as China Editor and return early to London,” Stanistreet said in a statement.
The journalist, who has been with the BBC for 30 years and described leading its China coverage since 2004 as “the greatest privilege of my career”, stated her concerns in a letter addressed to the “BBC audience”.The journalist, who has been with the BBC for 30 years and described leading its China coverage since 2004 as “the greatest privilege of my career”, stated her concerns in a letter addressed to the “BBC audience”.
She accused the corporation of a “secretive and illegal pay culture” after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.She accused the corporation of a “secretive and illegal pay culture” after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.
The letter says: “With great regret, I have left my post as China editor to speak out publicly on a crisis of trust at the BBC.
“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.”
Gracie said she was not asking for a pay rise, but wanted the BBC to “simply ... abide by the law and value men and women equally”.
A BBC spokesman 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.A BBC spokesman 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 an independent judge-led audit of pay for rank and file staff which showed ‘no systemic discrimination against women’.“Alongside that, we have already conducted an 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.”“A separate report for on-air staff will be published in the not too distant future.”
BBC Women, a group of more than 150 broadcasters and producers, told The Times that women at various levels of the organisation had made complaints about pay.
“It is hugely regrettable that an outstanding journalist like Carrie Gracie feels she has no option but to resign from her post because the BBC has not valued her equally. Up to 200 women that we know of in various grades and roles have made pay complaints.”
Gracie, who is a China specialist and fluent in Mandarin, said she left her post as China editor last week. She said she would return to the TV newsroom “where I expect to be paid equally”.