Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

West Yorkshire to publish ethnicity pay report to tackle disparity, says mayor

West Yorkshire to publish ethnicity pay report to tackle disparity, says mayor

WEST YORKSHIRE Combined Authority will publish an ethnicity pay report for the first time, the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin announced on Friday (13) after recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlighted how most of the minority ethnic groups in Britain continue to earn less than their white counterparts.

“I am so proud to be following in the footsteps of my Labour colleagues across the United Kingdom by committing to ethnicity pay gap reporting today,” Brabin said, adding that a lot needs to be done to end workplace inequalities for “Black, Asian and ethnic minority people who have faced the worst economic impacts of the pandemic”.


She also said that soon after joining the office, she started working towards race equality by appointing the “fantastic Alison Lowe as the first Black female Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime” and “pledging to appoint an Inclusivity Champion to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are central to all that we do”.

The announcement comes after it was reported that local authorities across London, Bristol and, at the Senedd in Wales, have begun publishing ethnicity pay reports after ONS’ highlights regarding pay disparity.

Reacting to West Yorkshire’s announcement, Marsha de Cordova, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, said that pay gap reporting is “the best way to flush out pay inequality in our society, which continues to be a huge barrier to equality for Black, Asian and ethnic minority people”.

“As we emerge from a pandemic which has disproportionately impacted Black, Asian and ethnic minority people, we need action to end persistent injustices,” Cordova said, adding that the “next Labour government will introduce a Race Equality Act to tackle structural and institutional racism root and branch”. 

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (ECHR), Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and, most recently, Theresa May’s former race adviser Lord Simon Wooley, have all joined calls for reporting to be put in place to help end racial inequality in the workplace, reports said.

Following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement last summer, a report by consultancy firm WorkL found that racial disparity in pay is entrenched between white and non-white workers, with the former significantly happier at work during the pandemic than the latter, reports said. 

More For You

Streeting hails India’s global role as Labour backs bilateral relations

Wes Streeting addresses the Republic Day reception at the Guildhall in London last Tuesday (28),joined by Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Vikram Doraiswami

Streeting hails India’s global role as Labour backs bilateral relations

WES STREETING spoke of the priority prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government attach to relations with India when he addressed a Republic Day reception at the Guildhall in London last Tuesday (28).

But the secretary of state for health and social care won over the large Indian crowd by paying an unexpected tribute to Rishi Sunak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka seeks to negotiate with Adani over renewable energy plants

Gautam Adani

Sri Lanka seeks to negotiate with Adani over renewable energy plants

SRI LANKA’S government started talks with India’s Adani Group to lower the cost of power from two wind power projects the group will build in the island nation’s northern province, the cabinet spokesman said last Tuesday (28).

Sri Lanka has been reviewing the group’s local projects after US authorities in November accused billionaire founder Gautam Adani and other executives of being part of a scheme to pay bribes to secure Indian power supply contracts. Adani has denied the allegations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

Kemi Badenoch delivers speech on January 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

CONSERVATIVE PARTY on Thursday (6) proposed a clampdown on all migrants by tightening citizenship rules and barring social benefit claimants from residency rights.

Kemi Badenoch, who took over from Rishi Sunak in November last year, outlined her first major policy agenda as Tory leader in a move seen as an attempt to win back the support of Conservative voters drawn to the far-right anti-immigrant Reform party.

Keep ReadingShow less
New body led by Sir Sajid Javid aims to amplify ‘unheard’ voices
Sajid Javid

New body led by Sir Sajid Javid aims to amplify ‘unheard’ voices

A NEW independent commission to improve cohesion would engage across all nations and regions of the UK by moving beyond Westminster-centric discussions and include more diverse voices, the director of British Future thinktank has said.

Sunder Katwala said building confidence across different groups will be a priority, as economic pressures and tensions due to Middle East conflict have polarised communities in the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

Pakistani zookeeper Mohammad Amir holds the confiscated lion cub at Lahore’s safari zoo last Tuesday (28)

Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

A PAKISTANI YouTube star who was gifted a lion cub on his wedding day avoided jail after promising a judge to upload animal rights videos for a year.

Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in south Asia, and his week-long nuptials in December were plastered over celebrity gossip websites.

Keep ReadingShow less