Ethnic Minorities in the Labour Market: Reaction
to the Report
Trevor Phillips, Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said:
'We strongly welcome the government's commitment to breaking down
the barriers to ethnic minority achievement in the workplace.
'This report marks a step-change in government thinking - clearly
recognising the significance of race as a specific cause of disadvantage.
'We now look forward to working with government and others to put
this new approach into practice.'
CBI Director-General Digby Jones said:
'Britain's ethnic minority population contributes to society in
so many ways. But it is clear that too many of them are failing to
achieve their full potential and business must do more to help.
'I attach the highest importance to closing the gap - our economy
needs to harness and maximise all our talents. This is a complex subject
- there are no easy answers - but this report makes a major contribution
to progressing that agenda.'
TUC General Secretary Elect, Brendan Barber, said:
'The TUC wholeheartedly welcomes this detailed and timely report,
particularly the proposal to develop a new framework for the Government
to deal with race discrimination at work.
'The report helpfully outlines the range of complex issues which
result in disadvantage for a growing proportion of the UK workforce. The
TUC is committed to working with the Government, the CRE and ethnic
communities across the country to give everyone a fairer deal at
work.'
Bill Morris, General Secretary of the Transport & General Workers'
Union, said:
'I welcome the government's commitment to addressing the very
real issues around race relations in Britain today.
'I am particularly pleased that the government have recognised that
in the pursuance of diversity one size does not fit all. Flexibility in
the tools used against discrimination will enhance our ability to combat
the racism and social exclusion experienced by our ethnic minority
communities. '
Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said:
'We welcome this report. It shows how disadvantage and discrimination
robs sections of our ethnic minority communities of the opportunity and
prosperity enjoyed by others.
'Access to the labour market is crucial in breaking the cycle of
deprivation. The report holds out hope for barriers in that path to be
taken down. We look to the government to deliver on its
recommendations.'
David Bell, Chief Inspector of Schools, said:
'Ofsted strongly endorses the report's emphasis on closing
educational attainment gaps.
'Under the Office for Standards in Education's new framework for
school inspection, that comes into effect this September, inspectors will
be asked to investigate how well schools monitor the achievements of
ethnic minority groups. Ofsted inspectors will also report on any
significant underachievement of particular ethnic minority groups.'
John Taylor, Acas Chief Executive, said:
'Acas is well known for helping to build effective relationships in
workplaces of all sizes and sectors. We welcome the opportunity to
increase the number of our expert advisers offering practical guidance on
this very important aspect of relationships in workplaces today. We will
work with employers and employees to set up fair and effective policies,
targets, training programmes and positive action measures.
'We are also working with other organisations, such as Yorkshire
Forward, to deliver equality in workplaces through new initiatives and we
hope to expand this partnership approach.
Andrea Callender Director of Race for Opportunity said:
'The business community faces many challenges in fully utilising the
talents and skills of ethnic minorities in the workplace. This report
identifies a number of critical barriers, which need to be tackled now.
'Organisations in our network are actively engaged in making progress
in opening up their workplaces to ethnic minorities. The report provides
a strong foundation for the development of strategic policies but the
practical outcomes will be the key to success.'
Peter Ellwood, Group Chief Executive of Lloyds-TSB and Chair of the ippr
Race Equality and Diversity Task Force said:
'We welcome this report and support its emphasis on the differences
between ethnic minority groups, which suggests the need for a much more
nuanced approach to addressing this issue.
The ippr Race Equality and Diversity Task Force will be considering
carefully how best to take forward the findings and recommendations of
this important piece of work.'
Tony Blair said:
'Britain has become a much more ethnically-diverse country. This has
brought widespread benefits to the nation's culture, economy and
society.
'Some ethnic minority groups have done well in the education system
and in the labour market. But, too many members of ethnic minority
communities are still being left behind. And even those individuals who
achieve academic success do not necessarily reap the rewards in the
workplace that their qualifications merit.
'We need a much more fine-grained approach with interventions
tailored to meeting the different needs of particular groups. This report
contains such a package of fresh and practical measures, all of which
will be implemented immediately as government policy.
The project's Sponsor Minister is Minister for Social Exclusion and
Equality, Barbara Roche. She said:
'This report highlights the importance of economic integration to
achieving social and civic integration. It is an important step forward
in how government addresses this issue.
'It clearly identifies that the experiences of different ethnic
minority groups now vary widely - differing by geography, by gender, by
generation and by socio-economic circumstances. Government cannot apply
the same 'one size fits all' policies across the board.
'This report sets out a clear strategy, backed up by practical
measures, to help remove barriers to success in the workplace, while also
addressing issues of social exclusion and poverty that can also hold back
ethnic minority communities.'
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Andrew Smith said:
'The employment rate for ethnic minorities in the UK is 58% compared
to 75% for the population as a whole. We must rise to the challenge of
narrowing this gap and address the very different needs of specific
ethnic minority groups across the country.
'We must do more to bring down the barriers to finding work that many
face, building on our successful employment programmes to realise the
potential of everyone. Together with the Minister for Work, Nick Brown, I
am pleased to be taking this area of work forward across Government.'
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, said:
'A successful, high performing workplace recognises the value of
tackling discrimination so that the widest pool of talent can be
harnessed.
'I am fully committed to taking forward the recommendations in the
report as breaking down the barriers that hold back ethnic minorities in
the workplace can only improve an organisation's performance and in
turn boost the economy as a whole.'
Secretary of State for Education and skills, Charles Clarke said:
'I welcome this report as driving up standards remain at the heart of
the Government's education policies, and a vital part of this is
removing the barriers to learning for all pupils, regardless of their
cultural or ethnic background.
'Only by narrowing attainment gaps for ethnic minority pupils in
primary and secondary schools can we truly widen access for all to higher
education, success in the workplace and confident engagement in
today's culturally-rich and diverse society.'
The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, said:
'I welcome this report and the robust strategy for future government
action. The Home Office looks forward to working with other Government
departments, the CRE and industry to reduce inequality and discrimination
in the workplace.
'As I pointed out in a speech last year, the report shows that people
from ethnic minorities are still prevented from achieving the level of
success that their skills and qualifications merit. Implementing the
recommendations of this report will go a long way towards addressing the
barriers that have caused this situation to persist.'
