“EQUITY OVER EQUALITY IS KEY” IN CLOSING PAY GAPS ETHNIC PAY GAP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK

Not All Staff Are Paid Equally

BY MELISSA JAMES (SHE/HER)

WE’RE RANKED IN the top five universities… of worst ethnic pay gaps.

The University’s transparency in its commitment to holding anti-racist status has meant figures have been published that highlight an imbalance in pay between white and minority staff.

Discrepancies in wages between white and black staff is at an average of 14.8 percent.

14.8%

The unfavourable trend is unfortunately mirrored by twothirds of Russell Group universities, exposing the pay gap as an issue within higher education as a whole.

Even more striking is the paycheck gulf between black women and white men employed by York - a disparity of nearly 50 percent.

50%

The ethnic pay gap has been attempted, trepidly, to be cleared up by the explanation that white staff dominate higher-paid roles in comparison to black staff who are more likely to be employed as cleaners for example. Such commentary identifies more than just a pay-gap, but an institution-wide (if not national) issue of opportunity and education inequality. To confront the clear issue, The White Rose in Leadership scheme has been established by a consortium of three Universities: York, Sheffield, and Leeds. The pilot programme aims to extend career development support to