Under radical plans for the Race Equality Bill, reported by the Guardian, the Labor government will extend the full right to equal pay, which currently exists for women, to black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers for the first time. I will do it.
This legal right will be introduced in stages, in consultation with business associations and trade unions, to give employers time to adapt to paying fair wages to all employees, and ensure that unpaid wages will only be available after the law changes. It becomes possible.
The changes also cover people with disabilities, meaning claims for equal pay based on ethnicity or disability will be treated in the same way as women’s claims, which have more stringent protections under current law.
Labor also plans to appoint a Windrush commissioner to oversee the reparations scheme if it wins the general election, which has come under criticism for its slow rollout and threatened to oust it from the Home Office if it continues to fail. ing.
The Secretary will re-establish the Home Office team tasked with transforming the department after the scandal, which was disbanded last year, and will serve as the voice of the Windrush generation and their families in their pursuit of justice.
Keir Starmer first pledged to pass the Racial Equality Act in 2020, and then set up a special committee chaired by Doreen Lawrence, but the party has yet to provide more detailed information. The party’s failure to issue a statement had raised concerns about the party’s commitment to tackling systemic racism.
Inequalities have widened over the past decade, with BAME families disproportionately hit hard by the pandemic and cost of living crisis, and cuts to the NHS, education and criminal justice systems looming.
Anneliese Dodds, shadow secretary for women and equalities, said: ‘Achieving racial equality has never been more important. Under the Conservative government, inequality has widened and too many Black, Asian and ethnic minority families are working harder and harder for lower wages, holding them back and holding back the economy.
“We are proud of our achievements in government under the landmark Equality Act. [in 2010] Strengthen protection against discrimination. The next Labor government will go further to ensure that people can thrive in the UK, no matter where they live or what their background is. ”
The proposals, which the party is expected to unveil on Monday, are originally included in the Equality Act, introduced by Harriet Harman in 2010. It establishes protection against “discrimination.”
For example, a Black woman who faces sexism or racism, or a Muslim woman who is mistreated for wearing a headscarf, will face one discrimination lawsuit, rather than one for each protected characteristic. will be able to wake you up.
Labor said this would not only ease backlogs in the court system, but also have wider benefits for a range of people, including women who experience discrimination during menopause.
The new law will also require public services such as the National Health Service (NHS), police, schools and councils to collect and report data by ethnicity on staffing, pay and, where relevant, outcomes.
Previously announced measures covered by the law include mandatory reporting of pay gaps based on ethnicity, ensuring that police officers and staff receive anti-racism training, and increasing diversity in schools. This includes a review of the curriculum.
After newsletter promotion
Labor will also introduce new targets to expand access to mental health support, close the maternal health disparities experienced by black and Asian women, and improve clinical training to better serve diverse patient populations. He said he would update it.
Party officials say the new law will help achieve its core mission of delivering economic growth through better and more secure jobs for BAME people, and is worth more than £26 billion a year in pay increases. he claimed.
Dr Shabna Begum, interim chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, a race equality think tank, said: ‘Labour’s Race Equality Act is a step back from years of regressive and harmful policies we have seen under successive governments. , it marks a much-needed change in direction.”
“We are committed to addressing discrimination in the workplace, lack of representation in school curricula, and establishing the principle of double discrimination, which finally recognizes that discrimination can operate interactively. We welcome many promises, including this promise.
“However, this plan falls short of addressing the appalling scale of inequalities that shape the experiences and opportunities of people of color.
“To address structural racial inequalities, we must recognize that racism does not simply arise when systems are dysfunctional, but is actually woven into the very fabric of the systems themselves. need to understand.
“Labour will use the Racial Equality Act as a platform to address the unacceptable and, in some cases, worsening disparities in health, housing, wealth and policing that so many communities face. We need to take on an ambitious, cross-government approach, underpinned by sustained investment in ‘colors.’ ”
