While there is no scientific evidence to suggest that someone’s ethnicity makes them more likely to be infected by Covid-19, there is increasing evidence that living circumstances and job roles put certain ethnic groups at higher risk. GMB has created a toolkit to help black, Asian and ethnic minority workers access a personal risk assessment and stay safe at work.

BAME Covid Toolkit

GMB has been working with black, Asian & ethnic minority members across the country to make representations to the Equality & Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Racism within Health & Social Care. A collection of workers' experiences during the pandemic has helped form our report, with the aim of tackling racial inequality across the sector.

Read our report

Overall, Black, Asian and minority ethnic workers currently lose an estimated colossal £3.2 billion a year in wages compared to white workers, with people of Bangladeshi ethnicity earning 20% less than white British employees.

While we know that BAME people statistically excel in college and university, we don’t see this translated into the workplace or in workplace progression and development. Across most sectors there is a still a startling lack of representation of black, Asian and minority people in leadership roles, with only 7.1% of BAME workers holding very senior managerial roles in the NHS and police chief inspectors at just 4%.

Black, Asian and minority workers are also disproportionately affected by economic recession, with savage cuts to public services having a huge impact - particularly on BAME workers’ job losses as well many specialist services include black women’s refuges and counselling.

Black, Asian and minority and migrant women experience higher rates of domestic homicide – with figures showing women with mixed ethnicities were 10 per cent more likely to have experienced partner abuse in the last year than any other ethnic group. Cuts to specialist BAME women’s services, needed because of language barriers, and culturally-specific support available for those who have endured domestic abuse, sexual abuse and forced marriage mean that Black, Asian and minority women workers are less likely to be able to access vital support needed to be able to flee domestic abuse.

The Tories' austerity agenda has whipped up a culture of fear. The rise of race-related hate crime and the far fight impacts the safety and dignity of Black, Asian and minority communities, with asylum seekers and migrant workers being particularly under attack.

While in the last decade we have seen greater recognition of the significant contributions of BAME workers and the positive impact that having a truly diverse workforce at every level, in every sector, makes, words and awareness campaigns are not enough. For true racial equality in society we have a long way to go to end discrimination and ensure the world of work is fair and equal for all. GMB believes this starts in the workplace.