Centenary news

The April 1975 issue of Labour Research reported on a Runnymede Trust pamphlet, Trade unions and immigrant workers, which gave information on black and Asian migrant workers’ employment in Britain and discrimination against them. The LRD had previously published its own pamphlets in this area to counter right-wing attacks on migrant workers.

The Runnymede Trust’s pamphlet gives the distribution of immigrants in the various regions and shows that more than half live in the south east, where demand for labour has been so much greater than elsewhere, and 22·5% in the Midlands where the demand for labour has also been large apart from the current slump in the motor car industry.

These figures reinforce statements in our pamphlet seven years ago in answer to the charge that “immigrants are helping to cause unemployment”. In fact, they have gone to the areas where there has been little unemployment but a great need for more workers to run our transport, health and post office services. 


Although, in general, a greater proportion of black people are economically active than the general population, the Runnymede Trust shows that unemployment amongst the population of West Indian origin is a problem causing mounting concern. 


The report shows that discrimination based on colour prejudice is the biggest factor causing this position. Thirty per cent of applicants for white collar jobs are discriminated against when writing for a job and 46% meet discrimination even when applying for an unskilled manual job.