I work at the BBC and I have the rage

[alltherageattheBBC]

The Humphrys/Sopel leak is the last straw. The dripping contempt and the fact that they're laughing at us and there is nothing I can do cos I need my job makes me feel so enraged I could weep.

www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/12/john-humphrys-jokes-about-bbc-gender-pay-gap-in-leaked-off-air-recording

I'm sick of this attidute. Why isnt Gracie paid as well as Sopel? Because she's a woman and they think they're doing her a favour giving her the job at all. Yeah, they trot out the same old 'reasons'; previous salary (er, obvious flaw there in a discriminatory system), experience, profile blah blah.

for all the unconscious bias training, I've yet to meet a senior manager who appeared to reflect, question or examine their own actions.
They cut staff in £20 000 with about as much thought as they give to choosing a sandwich; the 'talent' pay is a different matter.

'Diverse' is anyone who doesn't tick the boxes of male, middle-class, privately educated, white. In my book that's normal, not different.

It's wrong, wrong, wrong and, as they never tire of reminding us when tightening up expenses or cutting low paid roles, it's public money.

Yup, you financed that cosy joking blokey banter. Total cost of a year of Humphrys and Sopel? Around £850 000.

but mostly

[BubblesBuddy]

In many jobs there are enhancements for performance and specific details about the job. If someone has been doing a job for longer at a very high standard, I would expect them to get more than someone who has just started. With Foreign Editors, I would imagine cost of living and sheer weight of news will be important. I can see why CG felt she was underpaid though.

I would have thought it was relatively easy to compare these jobs and set an upper and lower pay band for them. The people doing the jobs are not well known “talent” and could go and Work for Sky or another broadcaster and we wouldn’t notice.

The BBC is too slow to react but I still value it. We don’t know about other pay differences elsewhere do we? Humphrey’s and Dimblebee should go now. In fact anyone over 70 should be on a one year contract. I guess moving them from permanent staff to a rolling contract is problematic because we cannot enforce retirement now, but it needs to be done.A framework of remuneration for jobs should be introduced whereby people understand the salary range on offer and how you agree a starting salary and salary progression.

[2rebecca]

I also dislike the idea of no-one being able to have a private conversation without the contents being broadcast though. I've had chats to friends that i wouldn't want publicly broadcast as they would damage my career. Having said that it wasn't a quiet chat in a pub or house, it was in a BBC recording studio so was more stupid than eavesdropped on.

[alltherageattheBBC]

Phil Harding on PM shedding no light on anything, hoping if he's flat and boring enough we'll all lose the will to object.

The well-worn BBC management tactic of smothering the life out of an argument by heaping soft and empty words on you until you suffocate.

I know Harding is ex-management but they sign-up for life.

Mair usually has a stronger will to live but not today, or not on this topic. Shame, he's usually so sparky.

[BarbarianMum]

On the subject of the license fee, maybe women should be pay a quarter less than men? Seeing as we're not supposed to earn the same. Maybe I'll write to them and suggest it.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Another here who is pleased that Humphrys has proven himself to be the self-aggrandising, smug prick I'd always imagined him to be. Isn't he so clever, being a lad, with his funny banter, working at the BBC?

[alltherageattheBBC]

2rebecca the FIRST lesson when you become a broadcast journalist is NEVER say anything in a studio you wouldn't be happy being broadcast.

It's the most basic rule ever; that and pay your license fee if you're BBC.

It's beyond dumb/arrogant/unthinking to break it.

Not of course that Humphrys will have been at the controls, lol.

[WipsGlitter]

I agree he should be sacked. As Jo Brabd says it's the constant "banter" that weighs you down abs shows that he does think it's a silly woman making a fuss over nothing.

He's a dreadful interviewer anyway. Constant haranguing the guests.

[numbereightyone]

I hope he's sacked. Twat.

[PetiteMarseillaise]

Thanks for the complaints link, I've filled it in and await my answer with bated breath not. Unless the Beeb writes back in agreement that they're sacking Humphrys? I live in hope...

[SurferRona]

Will the BBC do anything about this?

I doubt it. Anyone else remember Michael Buerk's comments from a few years back?

amp.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/08/michael-buerk-female-presenters-ageism-looks

He's doing very nicely thanks, still at BBC, still paid by our license fee.

I've enjoyed and really rated Humphrys on Today for over 20 years but am mad, feel sick and betrayed by seeing what his real thoughts on equality are . He should go.

[Over600Ecalypts]

Thanks alltherageattheBBC - I also found Eddie Mair lacked his usual spark in this interview.

Humphries and Sopel were chatting prior to recording an item - they knew that the microphones were highly likely to be open and that they could be being recorded. They knew that their conversation couldn't be considered truely private.

YY to Jo Brand and banter.

[QueenThisTime]

Arrrrgggh I hate Michael Buerk! (Main reason for my Moral Maze hatred below.)

He doesn't seem to have been appointed either because he looks like a spring chicken or because he is any good. So why is he still knocking around?

[SurferRona]

@QueenThisTime

I'd hazard it will be because he has a penis?

[MrsHathaway]

International Women's Day would be a good day to withdraw labour/custom from organisations with entrenched sexism.

So on 8 March we would:

• not watch BBC tv including iPlayer
  
• not listen to BBC radio including listen again
  
• not buy the DM or visit MailOnline
  
• etc
  

Those in a position to strike would send a very strong message by doing so, but loudly and deliberately avoiding sexist institutions on IWD would be a move in solidarity.

[squishysquirmy]

Can we still listen to Women's Hour on International Women's day?

[MrsHathaway]

Is it BBC? The point would be to boycott the institution, not its individual employees.

[Maisy313]

I'm also in BBC publishing but not news. Have you joined the union? One of my first roles ended in redundancy and I was told by someone who was a director (and who is now on the board) that he liked the way I looked and thought I would represent him well so he was going to make me a role. Later, I was also told by my female boss that there was no point giving me an appraisal as I was pregnant... the list could go on and on.

[milliemolliemou]

squishy someone here who can't bear Woman's Hour. So well intentioned but does it actually do anything? it has very few science subects, very little sport and no idea about finance unless any of it becomes headline news in a paper. I may be wrong but one of the first times they headlined the appalling treatment of women not being informed of their pensions being moved to 67 was when that charismatic young Scots MP brought it up in the Commons ten years after the fact. So if there's a BBC boycott on an appointed day I'll join in - but my radio goes off at 10am anyway.

[alltherageattheBBC]

I like the idea of a Day of Rage

[alltherageattheBBC]

And agree about Beurk.

[LizzieSiddal]

Did anyone watch channel 4 news?

They were discussing this issue and told us that Jane Garvey was told she was not allowed to interview Gracie on Womans Hour.
A woman reporter and BBC employee (sorry I can’t remember her name) was due to talk on the Today programme this morning, but in the pre talk with the producer person, mentioned she had heard the JH tapes, she was two minutes later told she wasn’t needed on the programme. Instead JH interviewed another man and one woman about a women’s right issue.

So BBC women aren’t allowed to talk about this issue but John Fucking Humphrey’s is. What the actual fuckery is going on????

[durgha]

I hear your rage alltherage. Are you a union member?

[numbereightyone]

I heard the interview that had to be done by a freelancer because Jane Garvey wasn't allowed to. It's ridiculous that had to happen but brilliant that they found a way around it.

[LizzieSiddal]

But why wasn’t Jane Garvey, the presenter of WH allowed to interview her?