BBC has given pay rises to around 700 female employees since 2017

The BBC has given pay rises to around 700 women over the past three years.

Between July 2017 and March 2020, 84 women have secured increases through formal processes and an additional 608 won a pay revision or increase through an informal pay enquiry.

According to The Guardian, new deals reached over the summer have pushed the total number of women who have had their salaries increased to more than 700.

The BBC has previously been embroiled in a number of high-profile pay disputes with female employees including presenter Samira Ahmed.

A BBC spokesman said: “We encouraged all staff to come forward with any questions over their pay in 2017 and we have conducted checks on all staff, both men and women, to ensure their pay is fair.

“These figures show that since then adjustments have been made where appropriate and necessary, in line with our new pay structure.

“In the vast majority of cases these matters were quickly resolved internally and did not involve a formal settlement.

“This is entirely separate to the small number of cases in which a settlement has been reached.”

A London employment tribunal found in January that Ahmed should have been paid the same as fellow presenter Jeremy Vine for their work on Newswatch and Points Of View respectively.

In 2018 former China editor Carrie Gracie resigned her position in protest at pay inequalities at the broadcaster which were revealed when the organisation published the salaries of its highest earners in July 2017.