Black workers treated ‘less favourably’ for bonuses and promotions than white colleagues – new GMB London Region survey reveals
Last night at an event held in Westminster celebrating Black History Month, GMB London Region released new survey data.
‘Pay, Terms and Conditions Disparity Survey For BAME: Black Asian Minority Ethnic Members’ has revealed over half of black workers believe they have been treated less favourably and that white colleagues were given “first priority” to “overtime and preferable hours”.
The survey of GMB members in London and the East of England also revealed that over a third of BAME members do not feel they have equal opportunity to advancement compared to white members.
Reasons cited included bias from management and a hiring and progression process dominated by a ‘who you know’ culture. It found evidence of disparity of pay, terms and conditions across BAME workers in the Region, with a high proportion of members reporting favouritism and management bias across companies and workplaces.
Many felt that race played a role, resulting in BAME workers being overlooked for promotion and ultimately, career progression. The data also reveals some workplaces had no appraisal systems or there was a lack of management training or application.
According to a 2019 survey covering London public sector employees, BAME staff take home on average 37% less than white colleagues, driven by the lack of BAME staff in senior posts. Further research covering the whole economy in 2018 by the Resolution Foundation showed that BAME workers lose £3.2bn a year in wages compared to white workers.
Currently, racial disparity in terms of pay gap is not addressed at any level, be it in the gig economy, commercial, public, or manufacturing sector.
GMB London Region joins a growing coalition calling for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting that includes the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Confederation of British Industry.
GMB London Region is calling on local government to implement mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting similar to that of mandatory gender pay gap reporting which was introduced in 2017 and for employers to conduct regular pay audits
Abdi Mohamed, Chair of GMB Race (London Region) said:
“There should be no glass ceiling because of the colour of someone’s skin. Pay, promotions and bonuses in all sectors should be underpinned by ability and fairness. The data shows this isn’t happening and there is a lack of transparency in pay and conditions across workplaces.
“With the cost of living crisis hitting households hard, the loss of earnings faced by BAME workers will push them further into work poverty. Reporting on the ethnicity pay gap is a vital first step to addressing pay disparities. Gender pay gap reporting has brought the question of inequality in the workplace to the forefront. There is no good reason why we shouldn’t be doing the same for race.”
Warren Kenny, GMB London Regional Secretary said:
“This survey of regional BAME GMB members was an opportunity to gather data and stories in one place. The results of our survey clearly address the inequalities of pay and terms and conditions disparity. GMB will use this data to push for change by campaigning and supporting our members to tackle inequality in the workplace.
“We recognise that mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting is vital in the fight against racism in our workplaces. It's a place to start and we should all be campaigning for it.”
Contact: GMB London Region Press Office london.press@gmb.org.uk 079 7001 9643
Pay, Terms and Conditions Disparity Survey For BAME: Black Asian Minority Ethnic Members
