Gender pay bias: Cases similar to Samira's in the pipeline

IN THE wake of Samira Ahmed's landmark battle, close to a dozen female BBC employees are preparing to launch employment tribunals over gender pay bias, it has been revealed.

Ahmed claims she was paid considerably less than her male colleague Jeremy Vine, despite both of them doing "very similar jobs."

While she got £465 per episode of Newswatch, Vine received £3,000 for doing Points of View, said Ahmed.

Arriving at the Central London Employment Tribunal yesterday (28), Ahmed was supported by colleagues include Naga Munchetty and Carrie Gracie.

Speaking to reporters at the hearing, Gracie, 57, said: “Samira is the first of the BBC woman who came together in 2017 whose case has reached the tribunal stage.

“Her case is emblematic and extremely important to all the other women still fighting.

“We have been trudging through the internal processes, but the BBC is extremely resistant to hearing the voices of these women.

“I’m shocked by the number of women, some of whom I don’t even know, who are taking the BBC to court over the gender pay gap. I’m aware of at least 12 other tribunals in the pipeline.

“The BBC continues to insist it has changed and is dealing with cases, but it’s not doing it adequately or fast enough."

The BBC has justified Vine’s higher salary saying Points of View is “entertainment” and news jobs receive lower pay.

A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC is committed to equal pay. Points of View is an entertainment programme with a long history and is a household name with the public. Newswatch - while an important programme - isn't.

“Samira was paid the same as her male predecessor when she began presenting Newswatch.

“Gender has not been a factor in levels of pay for Points of View. News and entertainment are very different markets and pay across the media industry reflects this.”

The hearing is expected to last for seven days.