Latest news with #MinorityEthnic
Metro
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Black and minority ethnic workers are losing out on £3,200,000,000
No one should be paid less because of their ethnic background, but unfortunately, the disparity is stark. Nationally, there is a 6% pay gap for employees from Black, African Caribbean or Black British ethnic groups, compared to their white counterparts. And according to a Resolution Foundation 2018 report, this amounts to £3.2billion in lost wages. The bad news doesn't stop there, though. London specifically has the largest gap in the UK at a shocking 23.8%, which is appalling because it is one of the most diverse capital cities in the world. But it gets worse – in specific sectors, the gap is even more pronounced. A GMB London survey showed that London's Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) public sector workers take home on average 37% less than their white colleagues, which is reportedly due to reported favouritism, management bias, and malpractice. On top of that, we already know that Black and minority ethnic people are much more likely to be in 'deep poverty' than white people. I want to close the ethnicity pay gap. And as the Chair of the London Parliamentary Labour Party, I want to see serious action to close that huge London pay gap, specifically. I believe the first step to tackle this is to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay reporting. And I have found that it's easier to convince people to acknowledge the ethnicity pay gap once you tell them about the gender pay gap first. For several years, companies of 250 employees or more have been required to report data on their gender pay gaps. I believe it is no coincidence that the gender pay gap has reduced over time. I remember one friend telling me that her company, upon realising their gender pay gap, gave her an instant £4,000 raise. Companies should also have to report their ethnicity pay gaps. If we measure something, we can fix it. But at the current rate, it will take another 40 years to fix the ethnicity pay gap. Shining a light on inequality and injustice is vital. So having the data out there pushes companies to act, and it shows you who is working to improve – and who isn't. It was in the Labour Party's manifesto that the Government intends to deliver mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for large employers – as well as disability pay gap reporting. I welcomed this, as I have campaigned for it for so long. Back in 2018, as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Governance and Inclusive Leadership along with Investing in Ethnicity, we launched the Maturity Matrix to spark this type of dialogue. And I regularly called for mandatory reporting when I was a Shadow Minister. Fast forward to earlier this year, I led a debate in Parliament about pay gaps in the workplace, to urge long overdue action. I was delighted to see that there was cross-party support for tackling the various pay gaps that exist in the workplace – and I had a clear indication that the Government is committed to acting on these issues. I believe that now, under Labour, we have the chance to tackle pay inequality. It's another chance to show the difference a Labour Government makes. But I want to make sure that it happens. The Government recently held a public consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which they said would help shape the Government's policies. I urge the Government to follow through with delivering it. Voluntary reporting, often cited as an alternative, is insufficient to tackle the problem. The truth is, the minority of bad companies will not act unless they are forced to. What I have long proposed is that mandatory reporting should be accompanied by action plans for those companies who do report pay gaps. These action plans should set out what exactly the companies will do to address their pay gaps, to set them on the path to equality. Because we don't just want to identify pay gaps, we want to close them. And I want to see the option of fines to be included in the regulations, for those companies who refuse to engage or close their pay gaps. I have also long argued that Government procurement contracts (when government departments hand out contracts to deliver services) should be prioritised for companies who are paying their employees on an equal basis. Then, you incentivise progress, with those who have good practices benefitting. The case for action is not only about fairness and equality – it has been shown that the most ethnically diverse companies are more likely to be profitable too. Many organisations have worked on this issue and the progress made is thanks to our collective voice. GMB, my trade union, are campaigning on this with their 'Mind the ethnicity pay gap', which aims to shine a light on the disparities in pay between ethnic groups. And there are so many others – from the #EthnicityPayGap Campaign, to UNISON, Action for Race Equality, the Runnymede Trust, ShareAction and many more. More Trending The demand is clear, and I am convinced the consultation will have backed that up. I want to see disability pay gap reporting along the very same lines too – but that must be led by, and centred around, disabled people's voices. There is a wealth of diverse talent across our country that is ready to flourish. All we want is better and fairer workplaces where people are paid fairly on merit. Equality benefits everyone. So, if we get this right on gender, ethnicity, and disability, we will create a better and fairer working environment for everyone. It's time to deliver equal pay for all. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I always felt 'mum guilt' – then I went on a girls' trip MORE: I dehydrate myself so I don't have to use public disabled toilets MORE: I won't risk my safety by seeing Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025
Business News Wales
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Cardiff and Vale College Retains Prestigious Leaders in Diversity Gold Status
Cardiff and Vale College has been re-accredited for the prestigious Leaders in Diversity gold status. The award reflects the work it does to promote Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusivity and Engagement (FREDIE) within the communities it serves. The re-accreditation report by the National Centre for Diversity identified the college's work undertaken to advance inclusivity reaching beyond its walls, influencing work across Wales and beyond. It noted that this work has achieved national recognition, including by the Association of Colleges (AoC) in relation to CAVC's work on Race Equality and support in this area for the Further Education sector. It concluded that FREDIE is clearly embedded into the college across both staff and learner provision, and in outreach work. The inspection report also found that the college's positive influence spans not just further education, but with Higher Education and ongoing partnership work with the Welsh Government. It added that the college has extensive community and business links and uses its expertise and knowledge to 'influence and cascade across the wider landscape'. Last year the college moved from third to second place in the Leaders in Diversity Top 100 Inclusive Employers Index. CAVC represents one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in Wales. It is also the largest provider of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course in Wales, making it well placed to reach out to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities across the Capital Region and beyond. CAVC Group Chief Executive Mike James is Chair of the Colleges Wales Equality and Diversity Group and in 2022 the college became the first college in Wales to become affiliated with the Black Leadership Group. In 2022 CAVC also won an AoC UK-wide Beacon Award for its innovative work to embrace equality and inclusion, and a WorldSkills UK Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador Award. ESOL Cancer Awareness, a partnership between CAVC and Velindre Cancer Centre, was the UK's first Health and Cancer Awareness resource for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities when it launched in 2018. More recently, CAVC has been working with the Welsh Government, leading on a project to develop of anti-racist curriculum modules in the FE sector. The curriculum is in the form of a metaverse, providing an accessible and immersive learning experience developed and produced in collaboration with minority ethnic experts from schools, colleges, universities and third parties. Cardiff and Vale College Principal Sharon James-Evans said: 'We are absolutely delighted to retained National Centre for Diversity's prestigious gold status. 'As the college that serves one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in Wales, we are hugely proud of this result. It means a lot to us because we believe ourselves to be at the heart of the communities we serve and that all students and college colleagues are part of the CAVC Community. 'This is a testament to the people right across the college who work so hard to ensure that CAVC takes an ell-encompassing approach to managing equality, diversion and inclusion across all we do and I'd like to thank them all for that.'
Fashion Network
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Adidas and LCF launch "groundbreaking" new sholarship
Amounting to £75,750 over three years per student -- the scholarship 'will enable recipients to pursue their passions without the burden of financial constraints'. The SLDF scholarship is available to four 'Home' students who have progressed through UAL's Insights Programme or who are from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic background, accepted at LCF. Courses eligible for the scholarship include BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear, BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories, BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Production, as well as undergraduate courses across fashion photography, fashion marketing, creative direction and more. Chris Walsh, VP Brand, adidas North Europe, said: 'Creative talent exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn't. That's why this partnership with the [SLDF] and UAL's London College of Fashion is so important to us at Adidas. 'We're proud to support not only access to education, but also the journey that follows — through mentorship, regular guidance, and a broader network that will help students build lasting careers in the creative industries.' Donald Mbeutcha, interim CEO of the SLDF, added: 'Stephen dreamed of becoming an architect and we are determined that his legacy should help others achieve their ambitions. Too many young people are being held back from fulfilling their dreams in the creative industries. We know that fears of accruing student debt can be a significant barrier to overcome, so we are delighted to be launching this initiative, which we hope will give four young people the chance to reach their full potential.'
Fashion Network
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Adidas and LCF launch "groundbreaking" new sholarship
Sportswear giant Adidas and London College of Fashion, UAL have joined forces with the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation (SLDF) to launch a 'groundbreaking' £300,000 scholarship for young creative talent while 'fostering diversity within the creative industries'. The fund will aim to 'boost access to education and create career opportunities for underrepresented communities within creative industries' Coinciding withe the foundation's 2025's campaign theme 'Knowledge Changes Everything', the initiative will covering the full tuition and maintenance costs for four students at London College of Fashion (LCF). Amounting to £75,750 over three years per student -- the scholarship 'will enable recipients to pursue their passions without the burden of financial constraints'. The SLDF scholarship is available to four 'Home' students who have progressed through UAL's Insights Programme or who are from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic background, accepted at LCF. Courses eligible for the scholarship include BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear, BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories, BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Production, as well as undergraduate courses across fashion photography, fashion marketing, creative direction and more. Chris Walsh, VP Brand, adidas North Europe, said: 'Creative talent exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn't. That's why this partnership with the [SLDF] and UAL's London College of Fashion is so important to us at Adidas. 'We're proud to support not only access to education, but also the journey that follows — through mentorship, regular guidance, and a broader network that will help students build lasting careers in the creative industries.' Donald Mbeutcha, interim CEO of the SLDF, added: 'Stephen dreamed of becoming an architect and we are determined that his legacy should help others achieve their ambitions. Too many young people are being held back from fulfilling their dreams in the creative industries. We know that fears of accruing student debt can be a significant barrier to overcome, so we are delighted to be launching this initiative, which we hope will give four young people the chance to reach their full potential.'
