Carrie Gracie calls EHRC's report on BBC equal pay a 'whitewash'

[HecatesCats]

Former BBC journalist Carrie Gracie has said a report that found no unlawful pay discrimination against women at the BBC "feels like a whitewash"

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54901308

Samira Ahmed won an equal pay claim against the BBC, but the investigation by the EHRC did not include this case:

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50599080

BBC Women's Group Slams Investigation Clearing Broadcaster Of Pay Discrimination:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bbc-women-ehrc-equal-pay-whitewashukk_5fad213dc5b6d647a39c5b35

Bumping this because I don't understand the process at the EHRC that led to them only consider 10 out of hundreds of equal pay cases and ignoring the equal pay case won by Samira Ahmed at tribunal:

“Out of over 1,000 complaints, the EHRC looked in depth at only 10 cases and accepted the BBC’s excuses for why these were not ‘likely’ to be equal pay cases. We question why the EHRC discounted equal pay cases it knows the BBC has been forced to settle. New cases are coming forward and women are still heading to court. We fight on.”

Am afraid I never agreed with Carrie Gracies claim. She was a bad presenter as was shown when she returned to the UK. There are plenty of worthy claims, I just didn't think hers was one of them.

@highame

Am afraid I never agreed with Carrie Gracies claim. She was a bad presenter as was shown when she returned to the UK. There are plenty of worthy claims, I just didn't think hers was one of them.

It's more that they only looked in depth into ten claims when there are hundreds of them. Plus one woman won at tribunal and that case was not included. I don't understand the process. It's not really about whether an individual presenter is good at presenting, that's pretty subjective.

These cases will include women in all sorts of different roles. I'm most concerned about the EHRC process.

Yes, understand. I did think though that Samira's case came after EHRC investigations and I suppose they have to have a cut off point.

Wasn't clear enough on the Carrie Gracie comment, should add that she was a China correspondent and for years I only ever saw her a couple of times, others did most of the work. When she came back to the UK I think the BBC (not fond of giving an inch here) tried her in all sorts of spots and she was not a natural presenter (didn't do much for the viewing figures I'm guessing) You're right, subjective

should have added, don';t think the EHRC touch anything going through the courts

@highame

should have added, don';t think the EHRC touch anything going through the courts

That makes sense, I wonder why only ten cases for such a large organisation?

I don't have experience of EHRC, but I do have experience of an organisation saying they will investigate something independently and then framing the terms of reference of the investigation to ensure they can limit the damage to the organisation being investigated.
I imagine, but don't know, that might be what happened here. If so, it is very much not OK and is very much a 'whitewash' as Carrie Gracie alleges.

Also, the report then exists as a Thing that the exonerated organisation can then point to and it looks like it's all been sorted out.

People are rightly shocked at Trump's antics with truth telling but sadly, in my experience many of our (talking about UK) organisations are similarly loose with concepts of truth and evidence, but we don't know about it or care about it because it's not so loud and public.

Carrie Gracie was the BBC's China Editor. More recently, she's been presenting the weekly Dateline programme on which she was very good but I haven't seen her for a few weeks now and have been wondering where she is.

Also, the report then exists as a Thing that the exonerated organisation can then point to and it looks like it's all been sorted out.

That's what concerns me. It's a huge organisation facing hundreds of equal pay claims from female staff, but it can now say we don't discriminate, look the EHRC says so.

Exactly, Hecate, then from wading through mud to begin with you're now wading through thicker mud.