BBC management received large pay rises last year at a time when thousands of workers faced redundancy, the corporation’s annual report revealed last week.
Director-general Mark Thompson saw his pay packet rise by £160,000 from £459,000 to £619,000 although his salary for the previous year was not for a full year. His fellow executives also enjoyed significant pay rises.
Thompson waived his right to receive a bonus, although his colleagues did not.
Director of television Jana Bennett was paid £353,000 inclusive of benefits and bonus. Her basic pay rose from £255,000 to £321,000.
Jenny Abramsky, director of radio and music, saw her basic pay rise from £233,000 to £295,000 – taking her total wage to £322,000 with benefits and bonus.
Deputy director-general Mark Byford was the best-paid executive after Thompson. His total take-home pay was £456,000, including a basic wage of £403,000 – up from £351,000 the previous year.
Unions criticised the pay rises, which come at a time when 1,132 posts have already been closed, with more than 2,000 to go next year.
“It’s outrageous that in a year when they have made 3,000 staff redundant, executives have been given these astonishing, inflation-busting increases,” said Luke Crawley, Bectu’s BBC official.
“It is likely our members will be insulted and will say ‘let’s ballot for action’.”
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The BBC said the pay hikes were part of a two-year process to bring executives’ base pay up to the market median. While base pay has risen, bonus potential has been reduced from 30% to 10%.
BBC chairman Michael Grade said: “The governors believe the BBC’s executive pay policy now properly reflects our combined duty to licence fee payers and our responsibility as employers.”
