During the interview, Mr Richardson appeared to be trying to goad the minister, saying at one point “they are a disgrace, aren’t they?” and then “The real militant ones – you’d love to see them sacked, wouldn’t you?”
The comments prompted a formal complaint from the PCS, which wrote to the BBC at lunchtime today.
The PCS's letter said: “His line of questioning went beyond impartial by some distance, in first suggesting Mr Hunt sack Home Office staff if they go on strike following a legal ballot by our union, and then in clearly expressing his opinion that ‘militants’ should be sacked.
“This is totally unacceptable for a BBC journalist, this isn’t Fox News, and I would like to know how Five Live proposes to remedy it as a matter of urgency.
“We naturally reserve our right to take the matter further if we’re not satisfied with the response or outcome.”
Tonight the BBC said it stood by Mr Richardson, insisting that his comments were not a personal point of view.
A BBC spokesman said: “Garry Richardson was seeking to clarify Jeremy Hunt’s views with robust questioning about the government's response to the planned industrial action.
“The questions did not represent a personal point of view but were designed to explore and test the government's position.
“The BBC is committed to reporting impartially on the week's events and will continue to include a variety of opinions and voices, including of course the unions, in the run-up to Thursday’s possible action.”
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