THE government’s new consultation on race and disability pay gap reporting is an “important step” towards moving closer to pay parity, the TUC said today.

Labour’s upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, first announced in the King’s Speech last July, aims to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting for ethnicity and disability.

The consultation is looking for views on how to implement this requirement for employers with 250 or more workers, helping to shape the legislation.

A TUC report in November found that the disability pay gap for 2023-24 stood at 17.2 per cent, with workers with disabilities earning £2.35 per hour less than others.

This was up from £1.90 per hour — or 14.6 per cent — the previous year.

The disability pay gap also intersects with the gender pay gap with the median hourly pay for disabled women being £4.05 less than it is for non-disabled men.

And in a previous report, the union body highlighted systemic disadvantages and discrimination faced by black and minority ethnic (BME) workers.

Official statistics, it said, fail to provide an adequate picture of the pay gap.

The TUC’s analysis of 2019 data found a raw pay gap of 2.3 per cent for BME workers, but it said that more up-to-date information is lacking.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Everyone deserves a decent, secure job they can build a life on — and should be paid fairly for what they do.  

“But under the last government, pay gaps for disabled and black workers remained stubbornly high.

“Today’s consultation is an important step towards improving employment practices and moving closer to pay parity.”

Disabled and black workers continue to face “unacceptable levels of discrimination and inequality at work,” he said.

“But the government’s plan to Make Work Pay is an important step towards improving employment and progression opportunities for everyone.”

Members of the public can give their responses online, by email or post.