THE BBC is facing a second sexism row in the wake of the storm about pay gaps between their stars following claims an overhaul of working conditions will disproportionately hurt female staff.

Unions said proposed corporation job rules would have a “detrimental effect on women”.

The complaint comes as the BBC seeks to save £800 million a year from its budget and handle the backlash from revelations 96 people from its on-screen talent earn more than the Prime Minister.

The five best-paid men – including DJ Chris Evans and football pundit Gary Lineker – earned more than three times as much as the highest-earning women, led by presenter Claudia Winkleman.

Broadcasting union Bectu and the National Union of Journalists are negotiating a major review of terms and conditions of employment, which includes radical changes in how redundancy payments are calculated.

Unions say the proposal – which would see workers receive compensation on the basis of their current annual salary rather than an average for their years of service – would hurt women who go part-time to bring up children.

Bectu negotiator Noel McClean: “We believe it will have a disproportionately detrimental effect on women.Many more women than men go part-time during their careers.”

The BBC is understood to argue current arrangements are potentially out of kilter with tax rules. Many employers use current salary as a basis for redundancy.

Other proposed changes, including improved sick pay and shared parental leave payments, have been welcomed by union negotiators.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “These new proposals set out a simpler and fairer way of working which recognise the demands of a modern broadcasting organisation.”

“The proposals include support for the lowest paid employees and would ensure we have support in place for those who need it, while also ending complexities and outdated allowances so we operate more efficiently.”

Corporation managers, meanwhile, have acknowledged that they have an issue on pay.

Director-General Tony Hall said the BBC had to go “further and faster on issues of gender and diversity”. Mr Hall said the gender gap at the BBC was around 10 per cent overall, compared with a nationwide average of 18 per cent.

Prine Minister Theresa May, speaking on a rival radio station LBC, said “I think what has happened today is we have seen the way the BBC is paying women less for doing the same job as the men.

“I want to see women paid equally with men. The only reason we know about this though is because the Government required the BBC to publish these figures.

Labour MP Jess Phillips said: “There is clearly a fundamental problem in how women are valued by the Corporation.

“It’s difficult to see how this wasn’t picked up sooner.”