What is equality to you?

[Supertramp]

Not equal to her colleagues doing the same job covering different areas. I still can't find out what the head of the Africa desk gets - I'm still looking though!

 

Firstly, are they even the same jobs? She is international editor for one country? Jeremy Bowen covers several. Secondly Jeremy Bowen is in a war zone for half his life.

 

And finally I think the rise would have out her equal to Jeremy Bowen?

 

Also forgot to say, BBC only publish salaries of those earning over £150k so I would guess that the other international editors are below this threshold.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Supertramp
Missed a bit

[Harrystottle]

In the case of the BBC editor the case is pretty simple. She's the China editor and gets £100-150K. The male US editor gets £200-250k.

 

The jobs are very similar, the pay isn't! This is only difficult if the BBC makes it so.

The same job should mean the same pay, as laid down in law many years ago.

 

That the po-faced, relentlessly pc BBC has been caught out using blatantly discriminatory employment practices is good for a laugh, but they need to own up and get this anomaly fixed, asap.

[zach]

In the case of the BBC editor the case is pretty simple. She's the China editor and gets £100-150K. The male US editor gets £200-250k.

 

The jobs are very similar, the pay isn't! This is only difficult if the BBC makes it so.

The same job should mean the same pay, as laid down in law many years ago.

 

That the po-faced, relentlessly pc BBC has been caught out using blatantly discriminatory employment practices is good for a laugh, but they need to own up and get this anomaly fixed, asap.

 

I'm playing Devils Advocate here and don't honestly know but...

 

Is there more news about the USA than there is China. As such more air time about the USA hence a higher pay for the editor?

 

I know things aren't usually as black and white as that but is it about equality? or does the USA editor actually do more work?

[tinfoilhat]

I'm playing Devils Advocate here and don't honestly know but...

 

Is there more news about the USA than there is China. As such more air time about the USA hence a higher pay for the editor?

 

I know things aren't usually as black and white as that but is it about equality? or does the USA editor actually do more work?

 

They're fair comments. How many staff will each have under them? How many big stories? But there are other things - cost of living in Washington DC verses Beijing?

 

Let's put it this way - does the regional head of AN Nother multinational get paid the same if they were the head of US operations or Chinese operations. Does the UK ambassador get the same if they are ambassador in China or America- regardless of gender.

[El Cid]

I'm playing Devils Advocate here and don't honestly know but...

 

Is there more news about the USA than there is China. As such more air time about the USA hence a higher pay for the editor?

I know things aren't usually as black and white as that but is it about equality? or does the USA editor actually do more work?

 

I do more work than my colleagues, but we are all treated the same; maybe when they are paying £9 an hour, a few pennies does not matter - but for £100k it does?

[Supertramp]

I'm playing Devils Advocate here and don't honestly know but...

 

Is there more news about the USA than there is China. As such more air time about the USA hence a higher pay for the editor?

 

I know things aren't usually as black and white as that but is it about equality? or does the USA editor actually do more work?

This is my point too. It's not the same job really, it's the same job title but that's a different thing surely.

 

Do pizza hut pay a male in the UK the same as a female in Bangladesh? I doubt it. And in Pizza hut the job would be exactly the same.

 

Chinese editor and US editor could be wildly different for all we know. US editor could have twice as many staff under him or half the number of staff.

[tinfoilhat]

This is my point too. It's not the same job really, it's the same job title but that's a different thing surely.

 

Do pizza hut pay a male in the UK the same as a female in Bangladesh? I doubt it. And in Pizza hut the job would be exactly the same.

 

Chinese editor and US editor could be wildly different for all we know. US editor could have twice as many staff under him or half the number of staff.

 

Agreed. Some high earners in the BBC might be thinking perhaps their roles are more important than they think. Now if Suzanne in the tech support is doing the same job as Stephen in tech support for less money - that's cut and dried. I think at higher levels, certainly in the murky world of media/entertainment it's harder to pin down.

 

We are only being given information to back her story. I've no idea what editors in Africa or South America get. I've no idea what the editors in America and China get paid at sky news.

[Cyclone]

This is my point too. It's not the same job really, it's the same job title but that's a different thing surely.

 

Do pizza hut pay a male in the UK the same as a female in Bangladesh? I doubt it. And in Pizza hut the job would be exactly the same.

 

Chinese editor and US editor could be wildly different for all we know. US editor could have twice as many staff under him or half the number of staff.

 

AFAIK equal pay legislation passed in the UK doesn't bind Pizza Hut India...

If however PH UK are hiring people to do the same job, then they need to be paying the same base pay (I think they can get away with regional variations though, some companies pay a london weighting on top of a grade related pay scale).

 

Presumably the Beeb could defend the accusation quite easily if the jobs were different by simply saying so.

China job means a budget of xyz, and 123 staff.

US job means a budget of xyz*10 and 1234 staff, plus covering Canada and Mexico.

For example, demonstrating that the jobs are different.

[Harrystottle]

I'm playing Devils Advocate here and don't honestly know but...

 

Is there more news about the USA than there is China. As such more air time about the USA hence a higher pay for the editor?

 

I know things aren't usually as black and white as that but is it about equality? or does the USA editor actually do more work?

 

Maybe, but this isn't difficult.

 

For most of my working life I worked in the public sector. Posts have grades. Posts are represented in a Departmental structure diagram. People know what grade a post is rated at, people know what the pay rate is for the post. It is open and transparent - something the BBC plainly has not been.

 

If the American editor does do more work / has more responsibility then the post gets a higher grade.

 

It's not rocket science; as I say public bodies in the UK have been doing this for years; I can hardly believe that the BBC hasn't been doing it also but obviously not.

[ECCOnoob]

Maybe, but this isn't difficult.

 

For most of my working life I worked in the public sector. Posts have grades. Posts are represented in a Departmental structure diagram. People know what grade a post is rated at, people know what the pay rate is for the post. It is open and transparent - something the BBC plainly has not been.

 

If the American editor does do more work / has more responsibility then the post gets a higher grade.

 

It's not rocket science; as I say public bodies in the UK have been doing this for years; I can hardly believe that the BBC hasn't been doing it also but obviously not.

 

They might well be for all we know. We are only getting one side of the story.

 

We dont know any details whatsoever of the job specs, responsibilities, pay structure, whether they are employed or freelance, years of experience, other responsibilities, other broadcast income.... the list is endless.