NHS: Room at the top?

Race discrimination is alive and kicking in Britain’s workplaces two new reports have found, with black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAEM) workers suffering underemployment across the economy as well as chronic under-representation in top NHS governing roles.

Underemployment amongst black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAEM) workers is a third higher than it is for white workers new TUC research has found, while a separate report based on freedom of information (FOI) requests revealed that just two per cent of NHS trusts are headed by black or ethnic minority chairs – despite those groups making up 18 per cent of the population.

The reports follow a review by the Equality and Human Right Commission (EHRC) last week that concluded that opportunities for young BAEM people had fallen over the last five years.

The EHRC report said conditions were “the most challenging for generations” and stated that BAEM employees suffered lower pay, higher unemployment rates and underrepresentation in senior roles.

Monday’s (August 22) TUC report, which used official figures to analyse the backgrounds of those who would like to work longer hours, found that BAEM workers had an underemployment rate of 15.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, compared to 11.3 per cent for white workers.

More than 110,000 BAEM workers would be taken out of underemployment if the figures were balanced, the report said.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said, “Underemployment is a major problem in the UK, and it only gets worse if you’re black, Asian, or part of any ethnic minority. This is not only wrong, but a massive waste of talent too.”

Commenting on the report, which is part of the TUC’s submission to an independent review of BAEM progression at work due at the end of 2016, Unite national officer for equalities Harish Patel singled out discrimination as the driving factor.

“Although race discrimination at work has been unlawful for over 40 years, it is still the main culprit of inequality.

“BAEM workers have higher unemployment rates, an employment gap of 11 per cent, a pay gap of 5.6 percent – increasing to 12.8 per cent for black workers.

“BAEM workers are predominantly employed in lower skilled jobs and are severely under-represented in apprenticeships,” Patel said.

‘Discriminatory under-representation’

“The government needs to take serious action to address this discriminatory under-representation and ensure that young BAEM men and women are able to access the full range of apprenticeships with full and equal access to training.

“The increase in zero hour and casualised work is also adding to problems faced by many BAEM workers and should be banned.”

To tackle workplace discrimination the TUC is calling for employers to publish ethnic monitoring reports for training, promotions, hirings and underemployment and to use anonymous and standardised application forms.

Congress also asked the government to insert conditions into public sector contracts that would force companies to improve race equality at work.

The TUC report followed the release of research based on data from nearly 1,500 NHS board members from 114 trusts that found black and ethnic minority (BEM) and women workers were still not getting through to top NHS roles, despite a two year campaign to resolve the issue.

Just two per cent of chairs and seven percent of non-executive directors at NHS acute hospital or ambulance trusts are from a black or ethnic minority background, even though those groups make up 15 per cent of population. Women, who make up 80 per cent of NHS staff, made up just 28 per cent of NHS trust chairs and 38 per cent of non-executive directors.

Both groups are also under-represented in other senior trust rules, the Action not words – Making NHS boards more representative report found.

Philip Hunt, Labour shadow health minister in the House of Lords, branded the numbers a “disgrace.”

He told the Guardian, “The lack of women chairs is bad enough. But the BEM proportions are disgraceful. The barriers for people from a BEM background in getting top executive positions have been well-documented and there is little sign of much progress. Too many chairmen want to appoint executives who are in their own image.”

Unite lead professional officer for health Obi Amadi said the union was working to help resolve the issue.

“Lord Hunt is right to highlight this continued disgraceful failure which is again evidenced in Action not words,” Amadi said.

“Unite is working to ensure organisations implement the Workforce Race Equality Standards and will continue to campaign on this issue. It’s critical that organisations are representative of the populations they serve.

“The team at Unite in Health are also developing a tool kit for our reps and members, this will be available later in 2016 alongside training on how to implement the standard.”