Commenting on the confirmation by the Scottish Government that it intends to introduce a duty for listed authorities to publish data on ethnicity and disability pay gaps, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:

“We have long campaigned for the current requirement for listed authorities to publish data on their gender pay gaps to be expanded to include race and disability.

“The Scottish Government’s lead on this matter stands in marked contrast to the Westminster Government’s failure to act.

“In education, evidence shows that black and disabled teachers are more likely to be at the lower end of the teacher pay scale and face greater barriers to gaining promotion and higher salaries.

“Introducing a requirement to publish data on ethnicity and disability pay gaps is therefore a welcome step forward in quantifying the scale of the problem. However, this must go hand in hand with a tangible action plan to tackle the discrimination which is still holding Black and disabled workers back.”
 
Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland National Official, said:
 
“We now look forward to working with the Scottish Government to ensure that data collected is accurate, comparable across sectors and will support the ultimate aim of improving the experiences of Black and disabled people in the workplace.

“Data collection on its own is meaningless unless it supports genuine and positive change in making our workplaces more equal and representative of wider society.”