- Conference
- 2003 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 20 February 2003
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This Conference notes the publication of the TUC’s Report ‘‘Black and Underpaid ‘ which highlights the fact that black workers continue to be discriminated against in terms of pay.
Conference is perturbed that despite nearly a generation of race relations in Britain that black workers still earn less than their counterparts, for example black men earn on average £97 less per week than their white counterparts. Conference further notes that the Government is encouraging employers to carry out pay audits to ensure that their pay systems are not discriminating against women.
This conference acknowledges that in local Government despite the single status agreement and in Further Education Colleges, black workers are still concentrated in low paid jobs. They have problems getting promotion and are less likely to get access to training. Many of these problems also arise as a result of Best Value where black workers have suffered from the effects of the two tier workforce when employed to carry out public services by contractors.
Conference believes that the recent work of the Local Government Pay Commission provides an opportunity to start to address the problem of low pay amongst black workers in local government. Conference therefore calls on the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
i)Press the national bargaining groups to examine the effect of failing to introduce a job evaluation system on the pay of black workers
ii)Press for the broadening of the Government-supported employer’s pays audits for women to include black workers;
iii)Encourage local government branches to press their authorities to include black workers in local pay audits and highlight to local authority employers the necessity of introducing the NJC JE Scheme as being the best means to ensure pay systems are discrimination proofed
iv)Support the TUC’s call for all employers to equality proof pay systems and pay settlements/agreements on a periodic basis
v)Encourage local government branches who represent further education members to press principals and governing bodies to include black workers in pay audits performed in colleges
vi)Ensure service group bargaining incorporates the new obligations on employers arising from the Race Relations ( Amendment) Act in the context of pay and grading
viiTo acknowledge the contribution made by UNISON to The Commission for Black Staff in Further Education “Challenging Racism” report. This report makes recommendations on issues on low pay, career progression and institutional racism faced by black staff, and offers a developing agenda for change, not only in further education but throughout public services