BBC 'offers low-paid workers pay hike'

The BBC has reportedly offered its employees earning less than £37,000 a year an annual pay increase of £475, but the move could attract criticism from the corporation's detractors.

According to The Guardian, BBC insiders indicated that the pay proposal, which is currently being reviewed by the unions, will increase the corporation's annual salary bill by just 1%, or £11m.

All BBC staff on over £60,000 have had their pay frozen since last year, with bonuses also being stopped across the corporation, apart from the payments to on-screen talent.

Despite the pay increase proposal being relatively modest, it is likely to attract criticism from some quarters amid widespread cuts across public service organisations.

Many public sector employees are facing pay cuts or redundancy as the coalition government attempts to reduce the budget deficit.

It is also thought that the National Union Of Journalists and entertainment union Bectu plan to reject the BBC's pay offer in the hope of securing a higher annual settlement.

The NUJ's general secretary Jeremy Dear said: "We appreciate the BBC is trying to cut the cake to help the lowest paid but it is unacceptable that a third of journalists would receive no pay rise and that for the third year running BBC staff are being offered a deal which is significantly below inflation and significantly below the rise in the licence fee. Quite simply, the cake isn't big enough."

A BBC insider also questioned whether the BBC management has a good enough understanding of what the licence fee payers really want from the corporation.

"In the week when we can find a million quid to try and keep Christine Bleakley on The One Show it calls into question senior management's understanding of what licence fee payers believe represents value for money," the source said.

Yesterday, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said that the coalition government will review the BBC's licence fee funding situation as early as next year.

However, he added: "I can't do anything that requires the BBC to pay certain people certain amounts."