TUC: Government must introduce ethnicity pay gap reporting without delay

10 Jul 2019 11:34 AM

Commenting on the publication of ethnicity pay gap figures by the Office for National Statistics today (Tuesday), TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: 

“The harsh reality is that even today race still plays a real role in determining pay.  

 “TUC research has shown that far too many black and minority ethnic workers are stuck in insecure and temporary work, which not only has a huge impact on their life chances but also widens the pay gap.    

“This problem isn’t simply going to disappear over time. Ministers must take bold action to confront inequality and racism in the labour market. The obvious first step is to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting without delay.”   

Editors note

• The ONS pay gap data is available at: www.ons.gov.uk/releases/ethnicitypaygapsingreatbritain2018 
• TUC recommendations: 
  • The TUC is calling on the government to:   
    • Legislate to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for all employers with more than 50 employees, including a duty to produce an action plan   
    • Ban ZHCs and offer all workers guaranteed hours 
    • Reform the rules so that all workers benefit from the same minimum employment rights, including statutory redundancy pay, protection from unfair dismissal and family friendly rights 
  • And the TUC is calling on employers to:
    • Collect and publish data on BME pay, recruitment, promotion and dismissal, ahead of government action on mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting 
    • Set targets for improving race equality within their organisations 
    • Measure and report progress against those targets annually 
    • Work with trade unions to establish targets and develop positive action measures to address racial inequalities within the workforce 
    • Make it clear they have zero tolerance of racism and support all staff who raise concerns about racism 
• TUC research on BME workers being trapped in temporary and insecure work is available at: www.tuc.org.uk/news/bme-workers-far-more-likely-be-trapped-insecure-work-tuc-analysis-reveals 
• Congress 2019 will be held in the Brighton Centre from Sunday 8 September to Wednesday 11 September. Free media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/applying-media-or-external-visitor-credentials and completing an online form. Applications must be in by noon on Tuesday 27 August. Any received later than that will be processed in Brighton and will cost £75 +VAT. 
• The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.