Meanwhile, a freedom of information request from The Times has forced the BBC to reveal that "more than 2,700 BBC staff were handed pay rises of more than 10 per cent last year, despite the corporation’s claims that it does not have enough money":
The median increase was £4,979, and the total cost to licence fee-payers is £17.8 million a year. The BBC’s total headcount is about 18,200, indicating that about 14 per cent of the workforce were given substantial pay rises.
The top five comments beneath the Times report are all pretty much of one mind:
- BBC’s latest accounts show £523m in cash!!! Bloated, arrogant state organisation which requires restructuring to remain relevant.
- Further evidence the BBC has lost touch with reality.
- The gravy train rolls on. The BBC, financed by a tax for owning a television, needs sorting out. For a start make it a subscription service.
- 10% - absurd - when so many millions only receive 1, or 2 or at best a 3% pay rise. The BBC needs to be held more to account. Perhaps we should all refuse to pay our TV licence, until such indefensible and irresponsible pay awards are checked, and the pay of already grossly overpaid presenters is frozen or reduced.
- Noses in the trough. Abolish the licence fee and make it s subscription channel. They can then pay them what they like.
I'd guess that this apparent wage inflation is due to the BBC's attempts to eliminate its gender pay gap, flooding its female staff with additional money. (Any other organisation might have seen the need to approach this gradually, as it generated additional revenue to cover the inevitable costs but, "thanks to the unique way in which we're funded" our National Treasure can just go ahead at the stroke of a pen.)
ReplyDeleteEvery time there are comments on this theme on twitter or anywhere online, there's one that suggests we should all refuse to pay our licence fee until it's brought under control. But nothing ever comes of it because no one ever tries to get such a campaign going. We are a fairly passive lot, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThe £523m cash is a red herring
ReplyDeletea biz would keep about 1 months spending in cash
\\ BBC trying to address long-standing pay disparities, but awkward optics at time Lord Hall is warning of cuts to services //
ReplyDeleteThe payrise is for BBC office staff/engineers
"The new pay rise figures do not include on-air presenters or staff employed by Studios, the corporation’s commercial subsidiary.
The number of BBC employees given rises of more than 10 per cent has increased substantially from last year, when it was 1,763"