FEMALE newsreaders told an employment tribunal “the BBC grinds you down” over pay claims.
Four presenters are taking action against the broadcaster, saying they have been discriminated against because of their age and gender.
Martine Croxall, 55, Karin Giannone, 50, Kasia Madera, 48, and Annita McVeigh, 55, claim they were passed over for chief presenter roles in a restructure.
They told London’s Central Employment Tribunal yesterday they lost their jobs in “a sham recruitment exercise” when the corporation merged its BBC News and BBC World channels in March last year.
Ms Croxall, Ms Giannone, and Ms Madera have not appeared on screen in more than a year after appealing the “rigged” process.
Ms McVeigh is understood to have since taken a chief presenter role after a vacancy came up on the channel and recently appeared on air.
Ms Croxall told the hearing: “We suffered discrimination based on age and sex, victimisation, harassment and intimidation.”
The women also say there is a £36,000 annual salary gap with male colleagues.
Of a previous pay settlement, Ms Croxall told the hearing: “The BBC grinds you down.”
The BBC denies all allegations and says three applicants given chief presenter roles were women and four were aged over 48.
They attended a preliminary hearing at the Central London Employment tribunal, after having originally launched the claim with a fifth journalist who is no longer part of the proceedings.
The hearing continues.