Four senior female BBC journalists file appeal after equal pay claim denied

Four elder pistillate BBC journalists person filed an entreaty aft an employment tribunal ruled they could not instrumentality ineligible enactment against the corp connected grounds of adjacent pay.

Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera and Annita McVeigh launched an employment tribunal against the BBC, which included the assertion they had not been paid arsenic compared with their antheral counterparts.

In May, employment tribunal justice Sarah Goodman concluded that the women, who had antecedently reached settlements with the BBC successful 2020, could not bring caller adjacent wage claims.

Lawyers for the BBC described the concern astatine the clip arsenic being similar “seeking a 2nd wound of the cherry connected the aforesaid acceptable of facts”.

The journalists are arguing that the erstwhile settlements addressed lone humanities wage disparities and should not forestall them from challenging alleged discriminatory wage practices since 2020.

They antecedently besides claimed they had been kept disconnected aerial for a twelvemonth aft they were snubbed for main presenter roles pursuing the merger of the BBC’s News and World News channels.

All of the journalists are inactive expected to springiness grounds connected abstracted claims astatine their afloat employment tribunal against the BBC, which was acceptable for March 2025.

Croxall, McVeigh and Madera allege favoritism connected the grounds of age, sex, being a national subordinate and wages, portion Giannone alleges favoritism based connected age, enactment and wages.

They were besides fixed the go-ahead to person their cases heard jointly.

Madera returned to BBC News aboriginal successful May, with Croxall pursuing suit a fewer weeks after.

The NUJ is profoundly acrophobic by the tribunal ruling blocking our members pursuing their claims

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ

The claimants are supported by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and represented by Thompsons Solicitors and Claire Darwin KC of Matrix Chambers.

Neil Todd, a spouse astatine Thompsons Solicitors, who are representing the 4 journalists, said: “The entreaty raises important questions astir however out-of-court settlements tin screen aboriginal unlawful actions.

“In our view, the agreements that sought to bash this successful this lawsuit are unenforceable arsenic a substance of law.”

The NUJ’s wide secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, said: “The NUJ is profoundly acrophobic by the tribunal ruling blocking our members pursuing their claims.

“We bash not judge the premise that continued instances of wage favoritism tin beryllium fixed a escaped walk successful this way, and look guardant to making this lawsuit successful the employment entreaty tribunal.”

Croxall, who has worked for the BBC since October 1991, has been a main presenter with the BBC News Channel and BBC World News since 2001. She has besides appeared connected BBC One web quality bulletins.

Since March 2012, Madera has been a main presenter with the BBC News Channel and BBC World News and besides appeared connected BBC1 web quality bulletins.

McVeigh, who has worked for the BBC since October 1995, has been a main presenter with the BBC News Channel and BBC World News, since 2006. She has besides appeared connected BBC web news.

Giannone started moving for the BBC successful January 2005. She became a imperishable unit subordinate successful April 2008 and has been a main presenter connected BBC World News and the BBC News Channel.

The BBC has been contacted for comment.