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Carrie Gracie: 'I could not collude in unlawful pay discrimination' | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The BBC presenter Carrie Gracie has said she could not collude in unlawful pay discrimination after resigning as the corporation’s China editor in protest at unequal remuneration. | |
In her first full interview since leaving the post, Gracie said she was offered a 33% pay increase but rejected it, claiming she wanted equality, not more money. | |
Speaking on Monday to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Gracie said: “I could not go back to China and collude knowingly in what I consider to be unlawful pay discrimination. Nor could I stay silent and watch the BBC perpetuate a failing pay structure by discriminating against women.” | |
"The support that I've had speaks to the depth of hunger for an equal, fair and transparent pay system."@BBCCarrie says she has been moved by the support for her resignation over gender pay row. More here 👉 https://t.co/pMJE08Hsoq#r4today pic.twitter.com/J1KuTF40kg | "The support that I've had speaks to the depth of hunger for an equal, fair and transparent pay system."@BBCCarrie says she has been moved by the support for her resignation over gender pay row. More here 👉 https://t.co/pMJE08Hsoq#r4today pic.twitter.com/J1KuTF40kg |
She confirmed that she first lodged an equal pay complaint in August last year after the BBC was forced to disclose the salaries of employees earning more than £150,000 a year. | |
In a letter to licence fee payers, Gracie said she was dismayed to discover the BBC’s two male international editors earned “at least 50% more” than their two female counterparts. | |
The North America editor, Jon Sopel, earned between £200,000 and £249,999, while the Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, earned between £150,000 and £199,999. | |
Gracie said: “My pay is £135,000. The BBC offered to raise that to £180,000, however I was not interested in more money, I was interested in equality. I didn’t feel it was a solution. | |
“I felt it was a divide-and-rule botched solution that would not make the BBC better … This was not equality; there was still a big gap between myself and my male peers.” | |
To circumvent BBC impartiality rules, Gracie was interviewed by the Guardian contributor and former media editor Jane Martinson. She was asked whether she wanted a pay cut for male journalists. | |
“I believe in public service broadcasting and I do think salaries at the top are unacceptably high both for presenters and stars of various kinds, and also for managers. But I don’t have the information to say this needs to happen … I do stand by what I say about the BBC being a secretive organisation on pay and I think it is very inappropriate,” she said. | |
Gracie said she had yet to hear the outcome of a grievance hearing held in November and had resigned in frustration. “The BBC said it hoped to have a grievance outcome before Christmas, but there is still no grievance outcome to this day. And I just decided enough was enough,” she said. | |
She also pointed out that her role was one of the most important and demanding at the BBC. | |
“It is very hard to continue to do the job of China editor, which I do see as one of the most difficult reporting jobs of our time. I chase around being surveilled the whole time and dealing with intimidation, dealing with police harassment … I speak Chinese, I have a degree in Chinese, I’ve been reporting the story for nearly 30 years. I just feel I work hard,” she said. | |
Within hours of her resignation, Gracie was sent messages of support from prominent broadcasters and politicians. | |
Despite being the subject of a news story, she took the unusual step of going ahead with a scheduled appearance as a presenter of the BBC’s Today programme on Radio 4. | |
She told the programme how much she had been moved by the support. Briefly interviewed by her co-presenter John Humphrys, whose £600,000-plus pay packet is at least four times more than hers, Gracie 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. | |
“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.” | |
Humphrys interrupted her to say “too late, too late”, before going on to praise his colleague’s stint as China editor. | |
Gracie said: “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 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 for Gracie’s protest. | |
Statement from #bbcwomen in support of @BBCCarrie #EqualPay #IStandWithCarrie pic.twitter.com/tueh1aCW8W | Statement from #bbcwomen in support of @BBCCarrie #EqualPay #IStandWithCarrie pic.twitter.com/tueh1aCW8W |
It urged the BBC to “urgently address pay inequality across the corporation” and pointed out that 200 women at the BBC had made pay complaints. | |
A number of politicians voiced their support, including the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Debbie Abrahams, and the former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman. | |
This @BBCCarrie letter is a must read. All respect to her. https://t.co/9CvZrsyWLR | This @BBCCarrie letter is a must read. All respect to her. https://t.co/9CvZrsyWLR |
The Labour peer Lord Foulkes, who demanded that Gracie reveal how much she was paid during a live interview about MPs’ pay in 2009, said he agreed with her campaign for parity. | |
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. | |
“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.” |