A LEADING campaigner for mandatory ethnicity pay monitoring said the issue is about human rights.
Dianne Greyson spoke ahead of Ethnicity Pay Gap Day, today (Sunday 8th January), as it emerged that long-promised government guidance for employers, which was due to be published last summer, will now come out this year.
The guidance relates to voluntary reporting, but Greyson told The Voice that it needs to be mandatory.
Large companies that carried out the exercise last year, like the energy supplier E, typically found black and Asian staff were paid 20% less.
The Trade Union Congress are calling for mandatory action plans to follow ethnicity pay monitoring, so bosses are required to address the gap.
And while the disparities are clear, and the government has promised to make ethnicity pay gap monitoring a priority, it has yet to do so. The Labour Party have so far pledged to make ethnicity pay gap monitoring mandatory, with many black voters hoping they will keep their word, should Keir Starmer form a Labour government at the next general election.
MPs, the EHRC, and Unions have long lobbied the government on the issue, but in the midst of an ever deepening crisis with the cost of living, in which black communities are disproportionately impacted, the need for fair treatment and for companies and employers to clearly publish ethnic rates of pay and salaries has never have been more important.
Founder of Ethnicity Pay Gap Day, Dianne Greyson, explained why the campaign is so important.
“The objective was to raise awareness of the issue and to encourage the government to make Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting mandatory. I would also expect them to ensure that companies are held to account to insure that they have visible plans to close the gap not just report on the gap.
“I also want companies to recognise that structural racism drives this behaviour. As the EHRC said, the Ethnicity Pay Gap can be caused by discriminatory practices.”
According to the data from non-profit, People Like Us and Censuswide, almost 35% of professionals from ethnically diverse backgrounds believe their salaries will not cover their mortgages and living costs compared to 27% of white professionals.
Surveys have also revealed that around 19% of black and bame employees were told by the bosses not to expect a pay increase while only 10% of white workers were given the same message.
People from black and bame backgrounds generally earn about 84% of what white employees earn with an alarming 67% believing their white counterparts are earning greater salaries for doing the same job.
Greyson hopes to finally bring about change and transparency from employers.
“Ultimately, companies need to review the policies and practices to see if there are any barriers to people getting fair pay. There is also a need for accountability.
“When managers are offering a salary they must not be allowed to pay whatever they feel is appropriate, HR should countersign any agreement made. There is a window of bias that can creep in when salary are offered. Equally promotional opportunities that can increase ones salary can also see bias creep in.
Those in power can/should do the right thing. After all the Ethnicity Pay Gap is not a political issue it is a human rights issue.”
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Ms Dianne Greyson; Founder of the Ethnic Minority Pay Gap Day: must not treat the “Bame” Ethnic Minorities as one homogeneous mass.
It is time that “ethnics” are not treated as one homogenous mass by Trade Unions; Parliamentarians, Ms Dianne Greyson, Academics and England’s Public Institutions.
This “Ethnic Minority pay-gap” is a carefully constructed Trade Union; Left-wing, and Labour distortion that treats “ethnics” as if we are one united homogenous mass.
England’s ethnic people are not one and the same.
His Majesty’s African-heritage Subjects, with our 500 year association with the people of England, must strongly oppose Ms Dianne Greyson; and her political backers and funders, who want to treat all “ethnics” as one homogeneous political; cultural, religious and historical mass.
It is wrong; and marginalise the unique historical 500 year contribution of African heritage men; women and children to this English nation.
African-heritage campaigners need to stop being parrots of the Labour Left, and start applying some independent political thinking; and only campaign for issues that specifically impact African-heritage Subjects.
England’s Ethnics are not immune from being skin-colour racist against African-heritage people, and these realities must not be ignored: but confronted and discussed by African-heritage Subjects.
Asians-whether South Asians or Chinese Asians, display little affinity: political affection, or comradery for African-heritage people; therefore there is no reason why African-heritage people should be campaigning on their behalf.
In the 1970s & 80s Asians were as hostile and displayed direct skin-colour discrimination against “West Indians”, until the National Front switched from attacking “West Indians” to attacking Pakistani people.
At this point that Asians began referring to themselves as “black,” and treating “West Indians” with a little of the public courtesies the native English are renowned.
Indeed, I believe Voice readers, that future “structural racism and discrimination” against African-heritage people in England will be perpetuated by Asian-heritage people and ethnic and new European arrivals in public office; rather than native English Caucasian people.
For these reasons, it is time that African-heritage campaigners stopped campaigning for the whole family of BAME people, and only campaigned for issues that specifically impact African-heritage subjects.
The average NHS Consultant, Bio-Medical practitioners, Surgeon and researchers are more likely to be salaried staff of South Asian; Chinese Asian, or Semitic rather than English-Caucasian. I am sure they are not experience a “pay-gap.”
There is a massive disparity of salaried African-heritage men specifically.
If these African-heritage campaigners, campaigned to highlight the disparity of salaried African-heritage men, then I would join their campaign.
But having African-heritage campaigners, campaigning for high earning Asians, as if all ethnic minorities are “all in this together” is foolish reasoning.
Lets correct the disparity of African-heritage males being excluded from salaried employment.
The only way to address this is for Black People to start there own Business and Hire only Black people. Like the Indian/Pakistani community does.