英國廣播公司(BBC)可能因其給郭艾莉(Carrie Gracie)的待遇而受到英國人權(quán)監(jiān)察機(jī)構(gòu)的調(diào)查。郭艾莉在上周日辭去了BBC中國主編的職務(wù),稱BBC存在一種系統(tǒng)性歧視女性的“秘密且非法的薪酬文化”。
The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which has a mandate to challenge discrimination, said on Monday it was writing to the broadcaster seeking information on its pay policy and “the facts in this individual case”.
負(fù)責(zé)應(yīng)對歧視現(xiàn)象的平等與人權(quán)委員會(Equality and Human Rights Commission)周一表示正向BBC致函,以咨詢關(guān)于其薪酬政策和“這一個(gè)案有關(guān)事實(shí)”的信息。
“We will consider whether further action is required based on this information,” it added. “The new duty [on employers] to report on gender pay gaps from April is likely to expose more instances of unequal pay. All employers have a duty to do more to end discrimination and ensure they fully comply with equality law.”
“我們會依據(jù)所得信息考慮是否需要采取進(jìn)一步行動(dòng)。(雇主)從4月份起有一項(xiàng)新義務(wù)是報(bào)告男女薪酬差距,這可能暴露出更多不平等待遇的情況。所有雇主均有責(zé)任采取更多措施來停止歧視做法,并確保他們完全遵守平等法。”
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said in a blog on Monday that the union had lodged a grievance complaint with the BBC “on behalf of 121 women who work in a variety of roles and grades” at the broadcaster.
英國全國記者工會(National Union of Journalists)總干事米歇爾•斯坦尼斯特里特(Michelle Stanistreet)周一在一篇博客中表示,該工會已“代表121名在BBC從事各類崗位和各級工作的女性”對這家廣播公司提出申訴。
She added the “lid had been lifted on the problem” after publication last July of BBC top stars’ remuneration, which was demanded by the government as part of renewal negotiations of the broadcaster’s royal charter. Of those paid more than £150,000, only a third were women.
她還表示自去年7月份BBC應(yīng)政府要求——作為續(xù)簽“皇家憲章”(Royal Charter,又稱皇家特許狀)協(xié)議的一部分——公布一線明星職員的薪酬后,“該問題的蓋子已經(jīng)被掀開”。收入15萬英鎊以上的員工名單中只有三分之一是女性。
A withering open letter by Ms Gracie to the BBC, released on Sunday, alleged her bosses were engaged in a divide and rule approach to female staff and pay.
上周末郭艾莉發(fā)表了一篇辛辣的致BBC公開信,聲稱她的上司們對女職員采取分而治之的態(tài)度,以及差別性薪酬待遇。
She said in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour programme on Monday that she had been offered a £45,000 pay increase, lifting her remuneration from £135,000 to £180,000, but had turned it down.
她在星期一接受BBC廣播四臺(BBC Radio 4)的《女性時(shí)間》(Woman’s Hour)采訪時(shí)表示,公司提議給她加薪4.5萬英鎊,將她的年薪從13.5萬英鎊提高到18萬英鎊,但她拒絕了。
“I was not interested in more money,” said Ms Gracie. “I was interested in equality and I kept saying to my managers that I didn’t need more money but I just needed to be made equal, and that can be done in a variety of ways.” She added salaries were “unacceptably high” for some BBC staff.
郭艾莉表示:“我感興趣的不是賺更多的錢,而是平等。我一直對我的上司們說,我不需要更多錢,但我需要被平等對待,而這可以通過多種途徑實(shí)現(xiàn)。”她還表示BBC部分員工的薪酬“高得令人發(fā)指”。
Unlike Jon Sopel, the North America editor, and Jeremy Bowen, the Middle East editor, Ms Gracie’s name did not appear on the list of BBC stars’ pay last summer because she received less than £150,000.
與BBC北美主編喬恩•索佩爾(Jon Sopel)和中東主編杰里米•鮑恩(Jeremy Bowen)不同,郭艾莉的名字沒有出現(xiàn)在去年夏天公布的BBC明星員工收入名單中,因?yàn)樗氖杖氩蛔?5萬英鎊。
“[The BBC] said there were differences between roles which justified the pay gap, but it has refused to explain these differences,” said Ms Gracie in her letter.
郭艾莉在信中寫道:“(BBC)說不同崗位之間存在差異,所以薪酬方面也有差距,但它拒絕闡明這些差異。”
A leading employment lawyer suggested Ms Gracie and other women in a similar position at the BBC could sue the broadcaster over its pay policy.
一位頂尖的勞務(wù)律師建議郭艾莉以及其他在BBC從事類似崗位的女性可以起訴這家廣播公司的薪酬政策。
Jane Fielding, partner at Gowling WLG, said there “certainly looks like there is an arguable case” that the BBC may have breached the 2010 Equalities Act, which outlaws pay discrimination based on gender.
高林睿閣律師事務(wù)所(Gowling WLG)合伙人簡•菲爾丁(Jane Fielding)表示,“看起來確有證據(jù)表明”BBC可能違反了2010年的《平等法》(Equalities Act),該法禁止基于性別的薪酬歧視。
But she added “the type of dispute the BBC now faces on the back of Carrie Gracie’s call to arms, could happen to any employer. Queries about equal pay are on the increase as the deadline for gender pay gap reporting approaches.”
但她補(bǔ)充說:“BBC所面臨的由郭艾莉的聲討引發(fā)的爭議,可能發(fā)生在任何雇主身上。隨著公布男女薪酬差距的最后期限接近,關(guān)于平等薪酬的質(zhì)疑不斷增加。”
One person close to the NUJ said that as part of a possible resolution with aggrieved female staff the BBC would have to consider pay reductions for some male employees where contracts allow.
一位接近英國全國記者工會的人士表示,為了與受到不公平對待的女員工達(dá)成可行解決方案,BBC可能不得不考慮在合同允許的情況下對一些男性雇員減薪。
The BBC would also need to look at freezing pay for some male staff, this person added, with greater transparency around remuneration and management given less discretion in setting salaries.
這位人士表示BBC還需要考慮凍結(jié)一些男性員工的薪酬,隨著薪酬和管理的透明度越來越高,制定薪酬的自由度將越來越小。
Sue Ayton, an agent who has acted for BBC staff in the past, said: “I believe and I know there are really good people in senior management at the BBC who want to do something but they are up against a lot of people who are not convinced there needs to be change.”
曾為BBC員工服務(wù)的代理人蘇•艾頓(Sue Ayton)說:“我相信,而且我知道BBC高層中有好人,他們想要做些事情,但遭到很多人反對,這些人不相信需要改變。”
One person close to the BBC said people should make their judgment “based on the facts and analysis” and wait until the broadcaster has published details of the pay of all its “on-air” presenters: a piece of work set to be released by the end of January.
一位與BBC關(guān)系密切的人士表示,人們應(yīng)該“根據(jù)事實(shí)和分析”作出判斷,等這家廣播公司公布所有“直播”節(jié)目主持人的薪酬細(xì)節(jié),該名單將于1月底發(fā)布。
“When people raise issues with us, if we are able to sort them out, we sort them out,” added this person.
這位人士表示:“當(dāng)人們向我們提出問題的時(shí)候,如果我們能夠解決,我們就解決。”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Fairness in pay is vital. A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average [for the gender pay gap].
BBC的一位發(fā)言人表示:“工資平等至關(guān)重要。有相當(dāng)數(shù)量的組織現(xiàn)在已公布了他們的性別薪資數(shù)據(jù),從中可見我們的表現(xiàn)遠(yuǎn)勝許多組織,且男女薪酬差距遠(yuǎn)低于全國平均水平。”
“Alongside that, we have already conducted an independent judge-led audit of pay for rank-and-file staff which showed ‘no systemic discrimination against women’. A separate report for on-air staff will be published in the not too distant future.”
“此外,我們已對普通職員的薪酬進(jìn)行了由獨(dú)立法官主持的審計(jì),結(jié)果顯示‘不存在對女性的系統(tǒng)性歧視’。在不久的將來,另一份關(guān)于直播員工的報(bào)告也將公布。”
Damian Collins, chair of the Commons culture select committee, said “a lot more work needs to be done to ensure that men and women within broadcasting are paid equally ... it was right that the BBC published the pay of its highest-earning stars and managers”.
英國下院文化委員會主席達(dá)米安•柯林斯(Damian Collins)表示:“我們還需要做更多的工作來確保廣播行業(yè)的男女同酬……BBC公布其收入最高的明星員工和管理人員薪酬的做法是正確的。”