Unions good for black workers

Unions are particularly good news for black and Asian workers, according to a report published by the TUC.

Black, unionised and better paid shows that black and Asian employees in companies which conduct collective bargaining with unions are paid 32% more than those in non-union firms. The research is based on figures produced by the London School of Economics (LSE).

The unionised workers receive an average hourly rate of £8.95 compared with £6.77 for black and Asian employees not covered by bargaining. This gives the unionised ones a premium of £2.18 an hour, compared with a premium for white unionised workers over their non-union counterparts of 78 pence an hour.

Professor David Metcalfe of the LSE said that "unions remain a major egalitarian influence on the British labour market".

More details are available on the TUC press release which can be found on the TUC website at www.tuc.org.uk. (See also Bargaining Back-up page 24).