Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Annual ethnicity pay reporting may become mandatory for larger UK firms

THE Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, set up by Boris Johnson last summer, has been examining disparities in the employment market and is expected to report its findings to No 10 by the end of this month, reported The Guardian.

The commission is expected to urge the government to commit to making annual ethnicity pay reporting mandatory for larger firms, the report added.


According to the report, companies could be ordered to disclose any pay gap between white employees and their minority ethnic colleagues under reforms supported by Johnson’s race equality advisers.

Lord Woolley, the head of No 10’s race disparity unit until last July, said: “The ethnicity pay gap legislation is the lowest hanging fruit to acknowledge and tackle race discrimination in the workplace. While this is to be welcomed, we mustn’t forget that a more comprehensive Covid-19 race equality strategy is needed to cover wider aspects of systemic racism in the workplace, in health, and in education."

Earlier, ministers have committed to making annual ethnicity pay reporting mandatory for companies that employ more than 250 people. But further developments have not materialised after more than two years. Last year, more than 130,000 people signed a petition calling on the government to make ethnicity pay reporting mandatory.

As anti-racist protests were held in numerous cities in June, Johnson pledged to establish the commission to investigate all aspects of racial inequality in the UK. Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch was assigned to oversee the review.

The commission is led by former charity boss Tony Sewell, a colleague of Johnson during his time as London mayor. It was supposed to release a wide-ranging report by the end of last year examining areas including criminal justice, health and education.

A survey conducted last year by PwC found that one in 10 firms were voluntarily publishing their ethnicity pay gap figures.

One in three ethnic minority workers say they have been unfairly turned down for a job, compared with just one in five (19 per cent) white workers, according to research released last week by the TUC.

“The report will be provided to the prime minister by the end of this month. The government will respond to the recommendations in due course," a UK government spokesperson told The Guardian.

More For You

Essar-Oil-UK-Getty

Essar Oil UK is advancing decarbonization at its Stanlow Refinery with two key projects supported by Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grants. (Photo: Getty Images)

Essar, 24 other firms get £51.9m to cut industrial carbon emissions

THE GOVERNMENT has allocated £51.9 million to support 25 businesses in reducing carbon emissions as part of the Plan for Change aimed at driving economic growth and rebuilding Britain.

The funding covers projects across various industries, including food manufacturing, cement production, and glass processing.
Companies receiving funding include Essar Oil UK, Nestlé's coffee processing site in Staffordshire, Heinz's baked bean factory in Wigan, and Hanson Cement in North Wales.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesla-Getty

Tesla has faced challenges in 2024, reporting its first annual decline in deliveries as incentives failed to increase demand for its ageing vehicle lineup. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tesla received nearly £200m in UK government grants since 2016: Report

ELON MUSK’s electric vehicle company Tesla has received £191 million in grants from the UK government since 2016, according to an analysis by Tussell.

The majority of the funding, £188m, was provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) through the plug-in car grant scheme, which aimed to promote the adoption of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
CES-2025

CES 2025, organised by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), will be held from 7 to 10 January.

Indian tech innovations to shine at CES 2025, says top executive

THE INDIAN technology sector continues to capture attention, with several startups and entrepreneurs showcasing their innovations at CES 2025, the world's largest tech event.

John Kelley, vice president and show director of CES, described the Indian tech story as “fascinating” and highlighted its growing global significance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anil Agarwal acquires London's historic Riverside Studios

Anil Agarwal

Anil Agarwal acquires London's historic Riverside Studios

THE founder and chairman of Vedanta group Anil Agarwal is the new owner of the iconic Riverside Studio in London, a statement said on Wednesday (8).

The 100-year-old studio, which is a renowned global centre for arts and located on the north bank of the river Thames in the centre of London, will now operate under the name ‘Anil Agarwal Riverside Studios Trust’, it informed.

Keep ReadingShow less
india-gdp-iStock

India's GDP growth was 9.7 per cent in 2021-22, 7 per cent in 2022-23, and 8.2 per cent in 2023-24. )Representational image: iStock)

India's GDP growth projected to fall to 6.4 per cent in FY25

INDIA's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to decline to 6.4 per cent in the financial year 2024-25, marking its lowest rate in four years, according to government data released on Tuesday. The slowdown is attributed to weaker performance in the manufacturing and services sectors.

The growth rate of 6.4 per cent, estimated by the national statistics office (NSO), is the lowest since the contraction of 5.8 per cent recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21. GDP growth was 9.7 per cent in 2021-22, 7 per cent in 2022-23, and 8.2 per cent in 2023-24.

Keep ReadingShow less