Radio presenter Rachel Burden has co-signed a letter with fellow BBC journalists asking for immediate action over the Beeb's 'gender pay gap'
Women journalists at the BBC were made to feel as if they were being 'troublesome' when they asked bosses if they were paid the same as their male counterparts, Radio 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden has said.
The reporter and broadcaster, who presents the breakfast show alongside Nicky Campbell, said it was right that women were uniting to ask for action on the gender pay gap.
A letter signed by Clare Balding, Emily Maitlis and Fiona Bruce has called for action to sort out pay inequality 'now' rather than by Lord Hall’s self-imposed 2020 timescale.
Ms Burden, who earns £130,000 for her work for 5 Live, said her colleague Mr Campbell earns more than £400,000, but said she had never argued for the pair to be on the same money.
Writing in the Guardian, she said: “Should we be on the same money? Probably not. I have never argued for that. There has to be room for recognising experience and market value, I get that.
“I’ve known how much he is paid for some time – we’ve talked it over frequently and he’s been incredibly supportive of me throughout my career.
“Equal jobs should mean equal pay – but where there is disparity, is the gap justified? Are the women paid too little, or the men paid too much?”
She said the 'storm' about pay had been 'brewing behind the scenes' at the BBC for a number of years.
“In many cases, senior managers were directly asked whether women were on the same pay as comparable male colleagues. Few enquiries had a satisfactory outcome – the female journalists were either ignored, belittled or made to feel as if they were being troublesome,” she said.
Director general of the BBC Lord Hall said he would 'value (the) contribution' of more than 40 senior woman presenters and reporters who signed a letter demanding immediate action from him to tackle the gender pay gap.
He said: “When figures are published next year I am confident they will look very different.
“When other organisations publish their gender pay data by next April, I want the BBC to be one of the best performers when comparisons are made.”
