Racial Pay Gap Exposed Among UK Parliamentary Staff, GMB Union Reports

Racial Pay Gap Exposed Among UK Parliamentary Staff, GMB Union Reports
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A new study by the GMB Union has revealed a significant racial pay gap among employees working in the UK Parliament, showing that staff of colour earn on average £2,000 less per year than their white colleagues, according to the Shia Waves Persian via The Guardian.

The research, conducted after the 2024 general election, examined responses from 174 staff at the House of Commons and House of Lords. It also found that women earn about £1,000 less than men, while disabled employees make £646 less than their non-disabled counterparts, The Guardian reports. The greatest disparity was seen among women of colour, who earn nearly £6,000 less annually than white male staff, according to the same report.

The findings further suggest that ethnic-minority and disabled staff experience slower career progression and that only 17 percent of those who raised discrimination or pay concerns said their complaints were handled effectively, The Guardian added.

The GMB Union has called for mandatory ethnicity pay-gap reporting for all employers with 250 or more staff, arguing that “systemic pay discrimination continues to exist even at the heart of British democracy,” according to GMB London.

Wider research by the Resolution Foundation estimates that Black, Asian, and minority-ethnic (BAME) workers across the UK collectively lose around £3.2 billion a year in wages compared with white employees, according to London.gov.uk.

The UK government has pledged to introduce legislation for ethnicity and disability pay-gap transparency, with MPs urging Parliament to “set the standard” for fair and inclusive employment practices, according to Hansard.