Are UK workers of African and Caribbean descent positioned to collectively voice concerns relating to pay disparities?

BY SELINA ROSELYN

The pursuit of fair, equal and improved pay has resulted in a series of strikes across the UK, particularly over the past 18 months. Teachers, nurses and rail workers are just a few of many employees who have been seeking an increase in earnings, which heavily coincides with the cost-of-living crisis.

Not only have the strikes been consistently reported throughout the media, but the cause of these frustrations has also been thoroughly explored. The British public has therefore received a detailed understanding of the concerns surrounding pay conditions across multiple sectors.

In some cases, the frustrations pertaining to employee earnings have not always resulted in strike action, but even in such cases, reports have still received notable attention in mainstream news, and have been widely discussed across the nation. On the contrary, the plight of Black employees has failed to garner significant media attention, which has rendered large proportions of the public unaware of ethnicity pay gaps.

Furthermore, data from the Office for National Statistics heavily indicates a persistent disparity between the earnings of Black British employees and their White counterparts.

The figures signify that employees from Caribbean and African backgrounds have earned less income between 2012 – 2022, which includes Black individuals who were born in the UK.

Moreover, the data also indicates that Black employees who were born overseas have a take home pay which is 12% less than their White co-workers, while Black employees who were born in the UK have an income which is 5.6% less than their White co-workers.

Not only does this raise concerns about the disparities between racial or ethnic groups, but it also raises alarms regarding how such inequalities affect immigrant communities specifically.

Nevertheless, due to the overwhelming number of strikes it is evident that there is a need for pay increases among all ethnic and racial groups, including white British employees who have also encountered the economic challenges that have escalated particularly over the past two years. However, the concern is that even when employees of African and Caribbean heritage hold a university degree, this does not appear to eliminate the pay disparity that the data signifies.

Although the cost-of-living crisis has impacted all racial groups and has affected multiple industries throughout the UK, the specific plight of African and Caribbean workers has seemingly slipped under the radar. Similarly, the data indicates that the salary prospects for various minority communities require urgent political and structural change.

Furthermore, if the matter received the type of media attention comparable to the coverage received by the strikes, this would serve to raise awareness of the issue, which could increase the pace of reforms surrounding pay disparities.

Moreover, since the data suggests that Black employees have been earning less income prior to the existing cost of living crisis and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this implies that the apparent pay disparity is one that was not instigated by current economic conditions but has seemingly been a consistent issue that has rarely made news headlines.

Nonetheless, equality campaigners have been very vocal about this matter, showing a clear commitment towards addressing disparities surrounding income.

Diane Greyson, founder of the Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign, reportedly told The Voice newspaper that she is “angered” by the government’s approach to closing racial inequalities. Moreover, the issue has also been highlighted by charity organization, Runnymed, which serves to identify barriers to race equality, while simultaneously offering evidence to encourage steps towards social change.

As of late, the number of strikes across the UK have seemingly reduced. However, this does not suggest that matters are resolved, as there are several reports that have arisen within the past few days alone, which have erupted further conversations about strikes which could take place within the coming weeks and months. The question is whether workers of African and Caribbean descent are positioned to collectively voice concerns relating to pay disparities among the Black community. Or perhaps, the first step would be to establish whether Britain’s Black community holds a collective belief that the disparities are strictly race related.

Although the data indicates lower pay among Black employees, there are also a growing number of African and Caribbean business owners and entrepreneurs, which suggests that the economic prospects of Britain’s Black community is expanding. While this does not substitute for any disparities experienced by employees, it may suggest that entrepreneurship is a more desirable and advantageous avenue for the Black community, particularly in the case that the apparent disparities are unresolved.

Perhaps the more beneficial approach would be to focus on the teaching of entrepreneurial skills among low paid communities, which could progressively liberate workers from the constraints of employment, while simultaneously creating opportunities for improved economic prospects.