Black and ethnic minority workers “significantly more likely” than white workers to do night work
- NEW analysis: 1 in 7 BME workers do night work compared to 1 in 11 white workers
- Half of night workers are paid less than £12, the newly announced Real Living Wage, and many are on zero hours contracts
- TUC says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would boost pay and conditions for low-paid and insecure workers
As the clocks go back tonight (Saturday), the TUC has published new analysis which reveals Black and ethnic minority (BME) workers are “significantly more likely” than white workers to do regular night work.
The analysis reveals that 1 in 7 (14.4%) BME workers work nights compared to 1 in 11 (9.4%) white workers.
That means BME workers are 53% more likely to do night work compared to white workers.
The TUC says this is yet more evidence of “structural racism in action”.
Night work is routinely low-paid and insecure and comes with heightened health risks and significant disruption it causes to workers’ lives.
Overall, 1 in 10 workers regularly work nights, which is around 3 million workers nationwide.
Insecure and “undervalued”
New TUC analysis shows half of all night workers (53%) earn less than £12 an hour, which is the newly announced Real Living Wage outside of London.
And 85% of night workers earn less than £15, roughly the UK median wage.
Night workers are more than twice as likely to be on zero hours contracts compared to the wider workforce (7.1% compared to 3.1%).
The TUC says that many key workers who keep vital services going overnight are undervalued and often employed on low pay and insecure contracts.
Care workers (375,0000) account for the largest number of night workers in Britain – but many are low paid and on zero-hours contracts. Recent data showed 50% of domiciliary care workers are on zero hours contracts.
Health and safety impact of night work
As well as being detrimental to family life, the health risks of regular night work include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.
Workers, particularly women, are at greater risk of harassment and attacks in their journey to and from work when it’s late at night.
The TUC says employers should consider the health hazards of night working in risk assessments, and take responsibility for workers’ safety travelling to and from the workplace at night.
New Deal for Working People
The TUC is calling for government action to deliver better pay and conditions for the 3 million workers who regularly work nights.
The union body says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a gamechanger for workers’ rights – benefiting those who work night shifts.
Labour has pledged to deliver new rights for working people in an employment bill in its first 100 days.
Labour’s new deal would:
- Strengthen collective bargaining by introducing fair pay agreements to boost pay and conditions – starting in social care.
- Introduce ethnicity pay gap reporting and disability pay gap reporting
- Ban zero hours contracts to help end the scourge of insecure work, which is particularly widespread in sectors like social care.
- Give all workers day one rights on the job. Labour will scrap qualifying time for basic rights, such as unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave.
- Ensure all workers get reasonable notice of any change in shifts or working time, with compensation that is proportionate to the notice given for any shifts cancelled or curtailed.
- Beef up enforcement by making sure the labour market enforcement bodies have the powers they need to undertake targeted and proactive enforcement work and bring civil proceedings upholding employment rights.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“Britain’s night workers keep the country ticking while the rest of us are asleep.
“They do vital work. But too many night workers – especially in key sectors like care – are on low pay and insecure contracts.
“Night-workers are at higher risk of health problems and face disruption to their daily lives.
“And it’s Black and ethnic minority workers who disproportionately work nights. This is structural racism in action.
“It’s time night workers got the fair pay and conditions that they deserve.
On Labour’s New Deal, Paul added:
“Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a gamechanger for workers’ rights, and help boost pay and conditions for low-paid and insecure workers.
“It would ban zero hours contracts, introduce fair pay agreements to get pay rising in social care, and give all workers vital day one rights like protection from unfair dismissal.
“These are just some of the policies Labour is promising – with an employment bill in its first 100 days.”
