Four prominent BBC news presenters—Martine Croxall, Kasia Madera, Annita McVeigh, and Karin Giannone—have filed an appeal with the Employment Appeal Tribunal taking forward their long-running battle over alleged pay inequality at the broadcaster.
The journalists assert they have been paid significantly less than male colleagues performing equivalent roles. The dispute has stretched over a decade, with Ms Croxall and Ms McVeigh initially settling an equal pay claim with the BBC in 2014.
Despite this settlement, they contend that the BBC’s pay practices remained discriminatory, leading them to pursue another equal pay claim in 2019.
Ms Madera and Ms Giannone also initiated similar claims, and all four claimants entered into settlement agreements with the BBC in 2020.
However, the four journalists argue that these settlements addressed only historical pay disparities and have not remedied ongoing inequality. They allege they continued to receive lower pay than their male counterparts and have sought further redress through Employment Tribunal proceedings.
In May 2024, the Employment Tribunal ruled that the journalists were barred from pursuing these claims due to the 2020 settlement agreements. In the Tribunal’s view, these fresh claims arose from the same facts and the exact cause of action as the current proceedings. The Tribunal, therefore, concluded that, as the dispute concerned a legally settled matter, it could not be re-litigated.
The claimants, supported by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and represented by Thompsons Solicitors and Claire Darwin KC of Matrix Chambers, are now appealing this decision.
They argue that the 2020 settlements addressed past discrimination only and should not prevent them from challenging alleged discriminatory pay practices since 2020.
Neil Todd, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors representing the four journalists, said:
“The appeal raises important questions about how out-of-court settlements can cover future unlawful actions. In our view, the agreements that sought to do this in this instance are unenforceable as a matter of law.”
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary, said:
“The NUJ is deeply concerned by the Tribunal ruling blocking our members pursuing their claims. We do not accept the premise that continued instances of pay discrimination can be given a free pass in this way, and look forward to making this case in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.”