Female BBC News Presenters Allege Recruitment Process Bias
In February 2020, the women alleged that they were not paid equally compared to their male colleagues.
A legal action has been initiated by Martine Croxall and three other female BBC news presenters against the broadcaster. They claim that the job application process for senior presenter roles was “rigged.”
During a preliminary hearing at Central London Employment Tribunal, Ms. Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh accused the BBC of sex and age discrimination following the reorganization of the broadcaster’s news channels. They stated in their witness statements that they faced harassment, reputational damage, discrimination based on age and sex, victimization for union rep activities, and victimization for initiating equal pay claims.
The women alleged that a hostile environment was created in the workplace due to a sham recruitment exercise resulting in job closures that were not genuine as the work still existed.
‘Demoted’
After the merger of BBC News Channel and BBC World News, a reorganization took place, and the women applied for new roles as BBC News chief presenters. However, they were all unsuccessful in securing these roles. They claimed that less experienced staff were covering presenter shifts that they were capable of handling, resulting in cuts that left the news channel short-staffed.
Furthermore, the women stated that they were demoted, faced pay cuts, and were excluded from on-air opportunities against their wishes. They emphasized that no younger women or men experienced these detriments.
Despite these claims, the BBC maintains that its recruitment process is rigorous and fair. The decision on whether the women can make an equal pay claim is pending.
Gender Pay Disputes
This legal action led by the four senior news presenters is part of a series of gender pay disputes between the BBC and its employees. In recent years, other cases, such as Samira Ahmed’s challenge against the BBC over unequal pay with Jeremy Vine, and Sarah Montague’s settlement for unequal pay and treatment, have highlighted disparities in pay and treatment within the broadcaster.
In 2021, the BBC disclosed spending over £1 million on legal fees for challenging race discrimination and equal pay cases brought by its employees.
PA Media contributed to this report.
