TV news presenter wins sex discrimination equal pay claim against the BBC
A judge has ruled in favor of news presenter Samira Ahmed in her sex discrimination equal pay claim against the BBC.
The 51-year-old claimed she was underpaid for hosting the broadcaster’s Newswatch show when compared with her male colleague Jeremy Vine’s salary for Points of View, a similar audience feedback-style program.
Ahmed received £465 per episode for hosting Newswatch, while Vine was paid £3,000 per episode for Points Of View. During the case, Ahmed argued that she was owed almost £700,000 in back pay.
The tribunal ended in November last year, and the unanimous 40-page judgment from employment Judge Harjit Grewal and two panel members was released on Friday.
“We, therefore, concluded that the Respondent [the BBC] had failed to show that the difference between the Claimant’s [Ahmed] pay and that of Mr Vine between May 2012 and 30 September 2018 was because of any of the factors upon which it relied,” it said.
Speaking after the ruling, Ahmed thanked her legal team and the National Union of Journalists. “I’m now looking forward to continuing to do my job, to report on stories and not being one,” she said.
Ahmed received £465 per episode for hosting Newswatch, while Vine was paid £3,000 per episode for Points Of View. During the case, Ahmed argued that she was owed almost £700,000 in back pay.
The tribunal ended in November last year, and the unanimous 40-page judgment from employment Judge Harjit Grewal and two panel members was released on Friday.
“We, therefore, concluded that the Respondent [the BBC] had failed to show that the difference between the Claimant’s [Ahmed] pay and that of Mr Vine between May 2012 and 30 September 2018 was because of any of the factors upon which it relied,” it said.
Speaking after the ruling, Ahmed thanked her legal team and the National Union of Journalists. “I’m now looking forward to continuing to do my job, to report on stories and not being one,” she said.
