Tag: BME workers

Number of BME workers in insecure work has “boomed” over past decade, TUC warns

  • BME men almost twice as likely to be in insecure work as white men – and BME women are more likely to be insecure work compared to white women 
  • Insecure work is characterised by low pay, variable hours and fewer rights and protections for workers  
  • The disproportionate concentration of BME workers in insecure work shows “structural racism in action”, the TUC says 

New analysis published by the TUC has revealed the number of Black and ethnic minority (BME) workers in insecure work more than doubled from 2011 to 2022 (from 360,200 to 836,300). 

The chance of a BME worker being in an insecure job has also increased, with 1 in 6 in this position now compared to 1 in 8 in 2011.   

The TUC says the “boom” in BME workers in insecure work accounts for the vast majority of the overall increase in insecure workers over the last decade.  

BME workers account for two thirds of the growth of insecure workers in this period – despite BME workers making up just 14% of the overall workforce.    

Insecure work is typically low-paid, and those in insecure jobs have fewer rights and protections. This means their hours can be subject to the whims of managers and they can lose work without notice. 

Nation of insecure work 

The TUC says the UK is becoming a “nation of insecure jobs”, with precarious and low-paid work widespread in all regions and nations of the UK.   

There are 3.9 million people in insecure employment – that’s 1 in 9 across the workforce.    

London (13.3%) and the South West (12.7%) have the highest proportion of people working in insecure jobs.    

The industries with the highest proportion of insecure work are the elementary occupations, caring, and leisure services, and process, plant and machine operatives.  

Low-paid work is increasingly insecure work – in 2011, 1 in 8 low paid jobs were insecure, but by the end of 2022, 1 in 5 low paid jobs were insecure. 

“Stark inequalities” 

The TUC says the disproportionate number of BME workers in insecure work shines a light on “stark inequalities” in the labour market. 

The proportion of BME workers in insecure work significantly increased between 2011 and 2022, while the proportion of white workers in insecure work remained relatively stable: 

  • The proportion of BME workers in insecure work increased from 12.2% to 17.8%. 
  • The proportion of white workers in insecure work remained at around the same level – going from 10.5% to 10.8%. 

BME workers are significantly more likely to be in insecure work compared to white workers: 

  • BME men are almost twice as likely as white men to be in insecure work (19.6% of BME men in work compared to 11.7% white men). 
  • BME women are much more likely than white women to be in insecure work (15.7% of BME women in work compared to 9.9% white women). 

While BME employment grew between 2011 and 2022 by 1.7 million, much of the increase in employment was in low-paid and precarious insecure work. 

Between 2011 and 2022, almost a third (27%) of the increase in BME employment was in insecure work, compared to just 16% for the increase in white employment. 

The TUC says the explosion in the gig economy partly explains the significant rise in BME insecure employment – with the number of BME workers in low-paid self-employment surging over the past decade. TUC analysis has shown a particular rise in low paid self-employment in delivery and driving among BME men. 

Structural racism in action 

The TUC says the overrepresentation of BME workers in insecure work shows “structural racism in action”. 

The union body says BME workers experience racism at every stage of the labour market. 

This includes discrimination in recruitment processes, lower opportunities for training and development compared to white workers, being unfairly disciplined, and being typecast into specific roles often with less favourable terms and pay.  

The TUC says these are “persistent barriers at work” which “hold back” BME workers across different roles and occupations, leaving disproportionate numbers of BME workers stuck in low-paid jobs, with limited rights and on precarious contracts which mean they can find themselves out of work without notice. 

Recent TUC polling revealed around half (49%) of BME workers said they had experienced at least one of the following forms of discrimination at work: 

  • 1 in 7 (14%) BME workers reported facing unfair criticism in the last five years.   
  • 1 in 9 (11%) said they were given an unfair performance assessment.    
  • 1 in 13 (8%) told the TUC they were unfairly disciplined at work.   
  • 1 in 14 (7%) said they have been subjected to excessive surveillance or scrutiny.     
  • 1 in 8 (12%) BME workers said they were denied promotions.   
  • 1 in 8 (12%) BME workers reported being given harder or less popular work tasks than white colleagues.  
  • 1 in 11 (9%) told the TUC they had their requests for training and development opportunities turned down. 

Government action needed 

To help tackle structural racism in the labour market and end the scourge of insecure work, the TUC is calling for the government to:  

  • Ban the abusive use of zero-hours contracts by giving workers the right to a contract reflecting their normal hours of work and ensure all workers receive adequate notice of shifts, and compensation when shifts are cancelled at short notice. 
  • Introduce fair pay agreements to raise the floor of pay and conditions in sectors blighted by insecure work. 
  • Crack down on bogus self-employment by introducing a statutory presumption that all individuals will qualify for employment rights unless the employer can demonstrate that they are genuinely self-employed.   
  • End the two-tier workforce and reform the rules on employment status to ensure that all workers benefit from the same employment rights, including statutory redundancy pay, protection from unfair dismissal, family-friendly rights, sick pay and rights to flexible working. 
  • Give workers a day one right to flexible working – not just a right to request. 
  • Establish a comprehensive ethnicity monitoring system covering mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, recruitment, retention, promotion, pay and grading, access to training, performance management and discipline and grievance procedures. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “No matter your background, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at work.  

“But too many Black and ethnic minority workers are trapped in low-paid, insecure jobs with limited rights and protections, and treated like disposable labour. 

“The massive and disproportionate concentration of BME workers in insecure work – like in the gig economy – is structural racism in action.  

“Across the labour market, and at every stage, BME workers face discrimination and persistent barriers at work.  

“From not getting the job despite being qualified for the role, to being passed over for promotion, to being unfairly disciplined at work.  

“These barriers lead to stark inequalities – and it’s why we’re seeing BME workers disproportionately in the worst jobs with the worst pay and conditions. 

“It’s time to end the scourge of insecure work once and for all – that’s how we start to tackle the discrimination that holds BME workers back. 

“That means banning exploitative zero hours contracts. It means delivering fair pay agreements to lift pay and standards across whole industries. And it means placing a duty on employers to report their ethnicity pay gap and take action to close it.”

– METHODOLOGY 

The total number in ‘insecure work’ includes: 

(1) agency, casual, seasonal and other workers, but not those on fixed – term contracts  

(2) workers whose primary job is a zero-hours contract 
NOTE – data on temporary workers and zero-hour workers is taken from the Labour Force Survey. Double counting has been excluded.  

(3) self-employed workers who are paid below 66% of median earnings – defined as low pay.   

Two in 5 BME workers experience racism at work. says new TUC report

Ground-breaking new TUC research finds hundreds of thousands of BME workers face racist behaviour – from “banter” and jokes, through to bullying and harassment

  • But 4 in 5 don’t report the racism, for fear of it not being taken seriously or having a negative impact on their work life 
  • TUC calls on government to act now and introduce a new duty on employers to stop racism in the workplace 

A new report published today (Wednesday) by the TUC reveals two in five (41%) Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have faced racism at work in the last five years.  

This rises to more than half (52%) of BME workers aged 25 to 34 years old, and nearly 3 in 5 (58%) of those aged between 18 and 24 years old. 

The TUC believes that the research – carried out by Number Cruncher Politics for the union body’s Anti-Racism Taskforce – is the UK’s largest ever study into the experiences of BME workers in the labour market. 

There are 3.9 million BME employees in the UK, so the TUC is concerned that hundreds of thousands of BME people are at risk of racist treatment and discrimination at work. 

The study found that: 

  • More than 1 in 4 (27%) BME people told the TUC they experienced racist jokes or “banter” at work in the last five years. 
  • More than 1 in 4 (26%) BME workers said that they were made to feel uncomfortable at work due to people using stereotypes or commenting on their appearance.   
  • 1 in 5 (21%) said they had racist remarks directed at them or made in their presence. 
  • And 1 in 5 (21%) said they were bullied or harassed at work. 

BME workers told the TUC that the most common perpetrator of harassment was one of their colleagues (38%). For 1 in 6 (17%), it was a direct manager or someone else with direct authority. And in 1 in 7 (15%) cases, it was a customer, client or patient.   

The study found that the vast majority of those BME workers subjected to harassment do not tell their employer. 

Only 1 in 5 (19%) of those who have experienced harassment told the TUC that they had reported the most recent incident to their employer. 

More than 2 in 5 (44%) didn’t report the incident because they didn’t believe it would be taken seriously, and 1 in 4 (25%) told the TUC that they were worried about the impact on their working relationship with colleagues. 

Of those who did report an incident, nearly half (48%) were not satisfied with how it was handled. And around 1 in 14 (7%) said reporting the racist incident made their treatment at work worse.  

BME workers told the TUC that racism at work had long-term impacts on them: 

  • 1 in 13 (8%) left their job as a result of the racism they experienced. 
  • More than 1 in 3 (35%) reported that the most recent incident of racism left them feeling less confident at work.  
  • A similar proportion said it made them feel embarrassed (34%) and had a negative impact on their mental health (31%).   
  • Around 1 in 4 (26%) of those who have experienced harassment said the most recent incident had left them wanting to leave their job, but financial or other factors made it impossible to do so.    

The new report also exposes “hidden” institutional racism for BME workers – like being unfairly disciplined at work or being passed over for promotion.  

Around half (49%) of BME workers told the TUC they had experienced at least one form of discrimination consistent with institutional racism:  

  • 1 in 7 (14%) BME workers reported facing unfair criticism in the last five years.  
  • 1 in 9 (11%) said they were given an unfair performance assessment.   
  • 1 in 13 (8%) told the TUC they were unfairly disciplined at work.  
  • 1 in 14 (7%) said they have been subjected to excessive surveillance or scrutiny.    
  • 1 in 8 (12%) of BME workers said they were denied promotions.  
  • 1 in 8 (12%) of BME workers reported being given harder or less popular work tasks than white colleagues. 
  • And around 1 in 11 (9%) told the TUC they had their requests for training and development opportunities turned down.  

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This report lifts the lid on racism in UK workplaces. It shines a light on the enormous scale of structural and institutional discrimination BME workers face. 

“Many told us they experienced racist bullying, harassment – and worse. And alarmingly, the vast majority did not report this to their employer. 

“Others said ‘hidden’ institutional racism affected their day-to-day working life, from not getting training and promotion opportunities, to being given less popular shifts and holidays. 

“It’s disgraceful that in 2022 racism still determines who gets hired, trained, promoted – and who gets demoted and dismissed. 

“This report must be a wake-up call. Ministers need to change the law so that employers are responsible for protecting their workers and preventing racism at work.   

“And employers must be clear they have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism – and that they will support all staff who raise concerns about racism or who are subjected to racial abuse.” 

NASUWT General Secretary and chair of the TUC’s anti-racism taskforce Patrick Roach said: “Racial injustice at work is damaging lives and holding back the economic recovery the UK desperately needs. 

“This report delivers further damning evidence of a labour market that is unequal, unfair and highly discriminatory. 

“Despite 50 years of legislation to outlaw race discrimination at work, the situation facing Black workers today appears to be going from bad to worse. 

“We want to see urgent action from the government to create a level playing field for all workers, backed up with stronger workplace rights and robust enforcement measures. 

“And a positive statutory duty on all employers to identify and root out racial disparities at work.” 

The TUC is calling on the government to work with trade unions and employers to: 

  • Ensure that employers have a duty to take action to prevent racism at work. Bosses must ensure that they take measurable steps to prevent situations in which their employees are at risk of encountering racism.   
  • Improve workers’ rights. BME workers are significantly more likely to experience insecure and poor-quality work. Raising the floor of rights for everyone – by, for example, banning zero-hours contracts – will disproportionately benefit BME workers. Reversing outsourcing, introducing fair pay agreements – starting in sectors like social care – and giving workers the right to access their union on-site would also improve rights for all. 
  • Ensure that there are swift and effective penalties when workers experience racism. It is vital that any forms of alleged harassment and bullying are dealt with seriously and swiftly. 
  • Introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting. Business and unions are united in their support for compulsory ethnicity pay gap monitoring. Alongside publishing the raw data, every employer must publish an action plan setting out how they will close their pay gap.  

Case studies 

Mary*, south west, Black Caribbean: “I work as a lecturer, and I have experienced racist abuse from members of staff and students. I drive a nice car and one member of staff asked me if I was a drug dealer, because how else could I afford to drive the car I drive? I have been asked on numerous occasions if people can touch my hair.

I have been sunburnt, and somebody has said to me: “how on earth can you be sunburnt when you’re Black already?”. I have been called a N*** on more than one occasion. I have reported these incidents and been told it’s because of the area of the country we live in, which is predominantly white.” 

Rose*, London, British-Indian: “When I first started working, I couldn’t take my food into work because colleagues would tell me it smelled, so I had to start taking cheese and tomato sandwiches to work.

I remember going to a job interview and not getting the job, and later being told the company didn’t want front facing staff wearing “funny clothes”. I’ve never reported a racist incident because I have always been afraid that I would lose my job.

Over the years you just put it to the back of your mind because you just want to get on with work, you just want to have a job to put food on the table and a roof over your head, and if you start creating waves you worry you will end up with nothing.” 

Mohammed*, north west, British-Bangladeshi: “I was on the receiving end of systematic racism from group of managers at my job in a supermarket. They made my life difficult by giving me unrealistic tasks without providing any support.

They had unrealistic expectations of me compared to my other colleagues and did not appreciate the hard work I did. It went on for a few years and I suffered in silence. There were many times I felt like leaving my job because it was starting to affect me mentally.

I had rep training through my union and found the confidence to speak up for myself. I started having one-to-one informal conversations with some of those managers concerned in a polite and professional way.

One manager admitted to me that when he was young an Asian boy had taken a football off him and punched him in the face, and since then he had a negative mindset towards all Asian people.

I made the managers aware that no one deserves to be treated unfairly because of their background or religious beliefs and they as managers have the responsibility of making sure that the workplace is fair and inclusive for everyone.” 

*names have been changed. 

Responding to the TUC report “Still Rigged: Racism in the UK Labour Market 2022”, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The findings in the TUC report aren’t a surprise to anyone and I am sure the true numbers of people affected by workplace racism are much higher than reported.

“I spoke out in February about my concerns over racism in the workplace after the publication of the Scottish Government’s equality impact assessment into its Race Recruitment and Retention Action Plan. Unfortunately, these recent findings have reinforced the concerns that I raised then.

“Racism is damaging to our society and our people. It has detrimental effects on one’s mental health and sense of belonging. Making fun of people, their culture, skin colour or making assumptions about others shouldn’t be the norm, nor accepted in a civilised society.

“The report underlines the folly of the efforts in some corners of our politics to roll back policies of diversity and inclusion and dismiss them as ‘woke’ concerns. It shows us the real, pernicious impact that racism has in the workplace, on real people. It shows us the value of workplaces being aware of cultural and anti-racist behaviours and unconscious biases, and how much more there is to do in developing true equality.

“We all need to work together to promote fairness, anti-discriminatory and anti-racism across society. Our institutions and workplaces need to be monitored regularly. Racism won’t end until everyone realises we are one humanity and no one is inferior to another. The past cannot be changed, the present and future can. Let’s put a stop to racism.”

RacismintheUKlabourmarketDownload

BME workers bearing the brunt of coronavirus cuts

Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers are three times more likely than white workers to have lost working hours during the pandemic, according to a new TUC poll published on Friday.

The survey – carried out for the TUC by Britain Thinks – found that around 1 in 11 (9%) BME workers had their normal 35-48 hours a week cut back during the Covid-19 pandemic. Only 1 in 33 (3%) white workers said their working hours were reduced.

Nearly 1 in 8 (13%) BME workers told the TUC that their hours were cut without them requesting it in the last 12 months, compared to 1 in 11 (9%) of white workers. And 1 in 4 (25%) BME workers said they were now working between 1-24 hours a week, compared to 1 in 5 (20%) white workers.

The poll also found that:

  • Second jobs: BME workers were nearly twice as likely to say they’d had to take on more than one job in the last 12 months than white workers. Around 1 in 14 (7%) BME workers had more than one job during the past year, compared to just 1 in 25 (4%) white workers.
  • Pressure to go into work: 1 in 5 (20%) BME respondents told the TUC they were worried that if they did not go into their workplace this would impact negatively on their status at work, for example in terms of their job security or their chances of getting a pay rise. Around 1 in 7 (14%) white respondents shared this concern.

Previous TUC analysis revealed that the unemployment rate for BME workers has risen three times as fast as the unemployment rate for white workers during the pandemic.

The BME unemployment rate shot up from 6.3% to 8.9% between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 41%. Over the same period the unemployment rate for white workers rose from 3.6% to 4.1%, an increase of 14%.

Around 1 in 11 (8.9%) BME workers are now unemployed, compared to 1 in 25 (4.1%) of white workers.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Covid-19 has shone a spotlight on the structural discrimination that has been hidden in our jobs market for too long.

“BME workers have shouldered the burden of the pandemic. They’ve faced the double whammy of being more likely to be working in industries that have been hit hardest by unemployment. And it’s now clear they’ve also have been more likely than white workers to lose hours – and therefore pay. Too many BME workers are having to take on second jobs now just to make ends meet.

“We know that BME workers are more likely to be in low-paid, insecure work with less employment rights. Through the pandemic, many have paid for this discrimination by losing hours, jobs and wages. Tragically, many more have paid with their lives.

“Enough is enough. Everyone deserves a decent job, with decent pay and with decent terms and conditions. Ministers must address this inequality once and for all and challenge the structural discrimination that holds BME workers back at every level of the labour market.”

Chair of the TUC anti-racism task force and NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach said: “This latest evidence comes on top of other data showing that Black workers are bearing the brunt of precarious employment, zero-hours contracts and employers using ‘fire and rehire’ to drive down wages.

“With rates of unemployment rising fastest amongst Black workers, we need to see urgent action from the Government to tackle these inequalities and secure a recovery that works for everyone.

“It will also be important that employers consider and are held to account for how their decisions are impacting on Black and White workers.”

The TUC is calling on government to:

  • Introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and make employers publish action plans to ensure fair wages for BME workers in the workplace.
  • Ban zero-hours contracts and strengthen the rights of insecure workers – which will have a disproportionate impact on BME workers.
  • Publish all the equality impact assessments related to its response to Covid-19 and be transparent about how it considers BME communities in policy decisions.

Young workers bearing the brunt of job losses, says TUC

  • New TUC analysis of official statistics shows BME youth unemployment rate has increased at twice the speed of young white workers during the pandemic 
  • Union body calls on ministers to create good new jobs, extend and widen Kickstart scheme and boost universal credit 

The unemployment rate for young black and minority ethnic (BME) workers has risen at more than twice the speed of the unemployment rate for young white workers, according to new TUC analysis. 

The analysis of ONS figures reveals that the unemployment rate for young BME people aged 16-24 years old soared from 18.2% to 27.3% between the final quarter of 2019 and the final quarter of 2020. This is a 50% increase in the rate over the period, and a rise of 9ppts. 

Over the same period the unemployment rate for young white workers rose from 10.1% to 12.4% – an increase of 22% of the original rate, or 2.3 percentage points. 

These unemployment figures measure the proportion of young people who want to work who are in a job, and do not include young people who are inactive such as students. They tell us that BME young people who choose to work, rather than study, have a more difficult time in the labour market than their white peers. 

Youth unemployment 

Previous TUC analysis found that young workers generally have suffered a bigger hit to their job prospects than any other age group. 

More young workers were made redundant during summer 2020 than in all of 2019. And the number of pay-rolled employees aged under 25 fell by 437,000 between February 2020 and February 2021. This accounts for 63% of the nearly 700,000 payroll jobs lost over the pandemic. 

The TUC says this is largely the result of Covid-19 hitting sectors of the economy where young people tend to work, such as accommodation and food services. 

But the union body is concerned that the disproportionate effect on young BME people is further evidence of racism within the labour market. 

Government action needed now 

The TUC is calling on the government to: 

  • Create good new jobs. We could create 1.8 million new jobs in the next two years in green transport and infrastructure, and by unlocking public sector vacancies. 
  • Improve and extend the Kickstart scheme. The scheme is not effective as it doesn’t guarantee a high-quality sustainable job on a decent wage for every young unemployed person. Ministers should also ensure that ethnic monitoring is built into the scheme so it is clear who is taking part and whether they are getting jobs at the end. In addition, Government should  encourage employers to use positive action measures permitted by the Equality Act.  
  • Give more financial support for people who have lost their jobs. Without a boost to universal credit, many will be pushed into poverty. 
  • Provide dedicated careers advice for young workers who have lost their jobs. 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Covid has removed any doubt that racism exists in our workplaces – and in wider society. And our new analysis shows that it starts as early as age 16. 

“All our young people need opportunities as they start out on their careers – but they’ve been hit hardest by job losses in the pandemic. And some are facing additional obstacles because of their race. That’s wrong. 

“Ministers must stop delaying and challenge the racism and inequality that holds back BME people from such an early age. And start creating good new jobs so that all of our young people have a fulfilling future to look forward to.” 

Chair of the TUC Young Workers Forum Alex Graham said:  “Young workers have experienced first-hand the impact of the pandemic. Many have lost jobs and others are concerned that without help from government, they will be out of work too.  

“The disproportionate impact on young BME workers is another reminder that racism exists in the labour market as in wider society. More work is needed to tackle discrimination in the labour market and make racism it a thing of the past.  

“The government must act to protect and create jobs and provide careers advice to help young people find work. We’ll be talking at our conferences about the all the action needed to stop the mass unemployment of young workers.” 

TUC research: One in three BME workers have had to self-isolate

Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have had to self-isolate at a much higher rate than white workers, according to new TUC research published this week.  

The poll, carried out by Britain Thinks, shows that more than a third (35%) of BME workers have self-isolated during the pandemic compared to a quarter (24%) of white workers.   

Feeling unsafe at work  

The TUC believes the research shows that BME workers are being put at greater risk of coronavirus exposure than white colleagues.   

While half of white workers (49%) reported that their employer had done a Covid-Secure risk assessment for their workplace, this falls to 36% for BME workers. This is despite the risk assessment being a legal requirement.   

Higher stress levels 

Working during the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on the levels of stress and anxiety of two-fifths of BME workers (38%).  

BME workers (88%) are more likely to have concerns about returning to work than white workers (78%).   

Previous TUC analysis has shown that BME people are far more likely to be in precarious work and in jobs with higher coronavirus mortality rates than white workers, such as security guards, carers, nurses and drivers.    

Unfair treatment 

Almost a third (32%) of BME workers report having experienced 3 or more forms of unfair treatment compared to a quarter of white workers.  

In addition, almost a quarter (23%) of BME workers report experiencing abuse from other members of their workplace, compared to 16% of white workers. 

TUC antiracism task force  

The findings are published today (Thursday) as the TUC’s new antiracism task force meets for the first time. It is chaired by NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach.    

The task force will lead the trade union movement’s renewed campaign against racism at work. It will engage with Black workers across the UK to hear about their experiences. And it will produce recommendations on tackling structural racism in the UK, in workplaces and in unions themselves.      

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This government has been careless of the impact of coronavirus on BME lives.   

“BME workers are more likely to be exposed to the virus, less likely to work in Covid-Secure workplaces, and therefore more likely to be plunged into hardship if they have to self-isolate.    

“BME workers – and all workers – should be entitled to decent sick pay when they have to self-isolate, and to safe workplaces.   

“The government should act to rid the UK of the low wage insecure jobs that keep many BME workers in poverty and put them at higher risk from the virus. And it should set out a real commitment to ending systemic racism and discrimination.”    

Chair of the TUC’s anti-racism task force and NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “There is a hostile environment for Black workers today which means they are more likely to face discrimination in the workplace, to be in insecure jobs, and more likely to be dismissed from work. 

“And, during the pandemic we have also seen how racial discrimination has resulted in Black workers being much more likely to die at work as a result of Coronavirus. 

“As the Task Force begins its work, we will be hearing evidence from Black workers about their experiences of everyday racism in the workplace. 

“The Anti-Racism Task Force will not hesitate to call out racial injustice wherever we find it. It will bring together a strong coalition to deliver a programme of measures to root out racism and tackle racial discrimination and injustice at work.”