Black academic staff face double whammy in promotion and pay stakes
14 October 2019
Black and minority ethnic (BME) staff in universities are less likely to hold senior jobs and are paid less than their white colleagues, according to UCU analysis
The union's analysis of the 2017/18 Higher Education Statistics Agency staff record shows that, overall, BME staff suffer a pay gap of 9% compared to white academic staff. Staff from a black background suffer the greatest pay gap (14%), compared to their white colleagues.
The union's analysis found that BME staff were underrepresented in the top roles. One in nine white academic staff (11%) are professors, compared to just one in 33 (3%) black academic staff. One in 15 (7%) of Asian academic staff are professors. Overall, 84% of academic staff are white, but 93% of professors are white, as are 91% of academic-related managers.
Key findings:
- one in nine white academic staff are professors, compared to one in 33 black academic staff
- overall pay gap of 9% between white and BME staff
- black academic staff are paid 14% less than white academic staff
- Asian academic staff have a smaller pay gap (9%) compared to white academic staff than black academic staff (14%)
- BME staff are underrepresented in senior positions and overrepresented in more junior roles.
The analysis comes as UCU members are being balloted for strike action over pay and conditions. The union said it was an outrage that it had to threaten strike action to get universities to address their failings when it came to equality.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'These figures lift the lid on the extent of the race pay gaps in universities and the lack of representation of BME staff at the top level. It is quite shocking that we are having to ballot our members to get universities to start seriously addressing the issue of unequal pay and progression in higher education.
'If you are a black academic then there is just a one in 33 chance you'll be a professor, compared to one in nine for your white peers. It is going to take systematic change and some difficult conversations if we are going to make any headway. Universities need to work with us to address the issue and recognise that they will need to transform their practices to implement real change for BME staff.'
| White | Black | Asian | Other |
Overall- all staff | 86% | 3% | 8% | 3% |
All academic staff | 84% | 2% | 10% | 4% |
Professors | 93% | 2% | 4% | 2% |
Senior academics | 88% | 1% | 8% | 3% |
Mid-career academics | 85% | 2% | 9% | 4% |
Early career academics | 81% | 2% | 12% | 5% |
Academic-related managers | 91% | 2% | 5% | 2% |
Academic-related professionals | 88% | 3% | 6% | 3% |
HESA staff record 2017/18
| Black or Black British - Caribbean | Black or Black British - African | Other Black background | Asian or Asian British - Indian | Asian or Asian British - Pakistani | Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi | Chinese | Other Asian background | Other (including mixed) | White |
Overall- all staff | 0.9% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.4% | 86.3% |
All academic staff | 0.4% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 2.9% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 4.2% | 84.1% |
Professors | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 2.3% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 2.8% | 90.0% |
Senior academics | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 2.6% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 3.3% | 87.9% |
Mid-career | 0.6% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 2.6% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 3.1% | 2.0% | 4.0% | 85.0% |
Early career | 0.5% | 1.6% | 0.2% | 3.3% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 4.6% | 2.7% | 5.1% | 80.6% |
Academic-related | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 2.7% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 2.1% | 90.9% |
Academic-related | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 2.8% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 2.7% | 88.4% |
HESA staff record 2017/18
White | Black | Asian | Other |
11% | 3% | 7% | 7% |
HESA staff record 2017/18
Black or | Black or | Other Black | Asian or | Asian or | Asian or | Chinese | Other Asian | Other | White |
3.4% | 3.4% | 3.0% | 8.0% | 5.0% | 4.6% | 7.0% | 5.3% | 6.6% | 10.6% |
HESA staff record 2017/18
| White | Black | Asian | Other | BAME |
Overall- all staff | £39,630 | £32,875 | £39,135 | £38,485 | £37,825 |
All academic staff | £49,065 | £42,065 | £44,890 | £44,590 | £44,470 |
Professors | £82,665 | £76,610 | £83,170 | £81,190 | £82,195 |
Senior academics | £59,095 | £57,335 | £60,805 | £59,075 | £60,010 |
Mid-career academics | £47,185 | £46,210 | £47,100 | £46,680 | £46,860 |
Early career academics | £36,365 | £35,515 | £35,555 | £35,605 | £35,565 |
Academic-related managers | £49,395 | £48,045 | £49,020 | £48,600 | £48,730 |
Academic-related professionals | £34,195 | £34,545 | £34,550 | £34,160 | £34,460 |
HESA staff record 2017/18
| Black | Asian | Other | BAME | ||||||
Overall- all staff | 17% | 1% | 3% | 5% | ||||||
All academic staff | 14% | 9% | 9% | 9% | ||||||
Professors | 7% | -1% | 2% | 1% | ||||||
Senior academics | 3% | -3% | 0% | -2% | ||||||
Mid-career academics | 2% | 0% | 1% | 1% | ||||||
Early career academics | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | ||||||
Academic-related managers | 3% | 1% | 2% | 1% | ||||||
Academic-related professionals | -1% | -1% | 0% | -1% | ||||||
HESA staff record 2017/18
| Average salary | Pay gap relative to White staff |
Black or Black British - Caribbean | £32,650 | 21% |
Black or Black British - African | £33,005 | 20% |
Other Black background | £32,935 | 20% |
Asian or Asian British - Indian | £39,590 | 0% |
Asian or Asian British - Pakistani | £36,000 | 10% |
Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi | £34,410 | 15% |
Chinese | £41,230 | -4% |
Other Asian background | £38,130 | 4% |
Other (including mixed) | £38,485 | 3% |
White | £39,630 |
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HESA staff record 2017/18
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