Ethnic minority workers in Ealing are being paid significantly less than their white counterparts, according to a new report produced by the University of West London (UWL) in partnership with Ealing Council. The study calls for urgent reform in how pay disparities are measured and addressed.
The report, ‘Understanding the ethnicity pay gap in the London Borough of Ealing and how this can be addressed’, was led by Professor Mark Coulson of UWL’s School of Human and Social Sciences. The report was driven by Ealing Council’s Race Equality Commission as part of its effort to better understand and address ethnicity pay inequality in the borough.
Nationally, workers from ethnic minority backgrounds earn 85.2p for every £1 earned by white employees. In Ealing—home to England and Wales’ largest Polish, Afghan and Serbian communities, along with the second largest Japanese and Iranian populations, and the fourth highest Arab population—the issue is amplified by complex socio-economic factors.
Professor Coulson highlights flaws in how pay gaps are typically reported. He said: “First, the definition of ethnicity is overly simplistic. Second, we only know about the ethnicity pay gap within organisations who publish it. We know nothing about the broader population.”
He added: “We hope the results of this project generate discussion about how ethnicity pay gaps can and should be reported both within organisations and more generally.”
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “This research is intended to be a shared evidence base that can be used by other local employers to take action. We strongly encourage more organisations to report on their ethnicity pay data. Understanding and tackling the ethnicity pay gap is good for our residents and good for our businesses.”
 in partnership with Ealing Council. The study calls for urgent reform in how pay disparities are measured and addressed.){kind=link}