THE BBC on Friday (14) said it had settled a case with four female journalists who claimed they lost their jobs because of their sex and age.
Martine Croxall, Annita McVeigh, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera, who have all presented on the BBC's television channels, claimed they lost their jobs following a "rigged" recruitment exercise.
The broadcaster said that "after careful consideration we have a reached a resolution which brings to an end protracted legal proceedings.
"In doing so we have not accepted any liability or any of the arguments made against the BBC," added the BBC.
The four women claimed that they were paid less than men in equivalent roles and that they unfairly lost their jobs at the BBC News channel.
The BBC announced in 2022 that it planned to merge its domestic and international news channels.
The claimants said the BBC privately told four other presenters -- two men and two younger women -- that they would keep their jobs.
"We were put through a pre-determined job application process in February 2023," the presenters told a hearing last year.
They were instead offered jobs as correspondents, an effective demotion that came with a pay cut. The BBC said that at least five other applicants achieved better scores during the recruitment process.
All four presenters also claimed they have not been paid the same as equivalent male counterparts since February 2020.
(Reuters)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.