Parliamentary staff of colour earn £2,000 less than white colleagues, study suggests

A race and gender pay gap among parliamentary staff means people of colour earn on average £2,000 less each year than their white counterparts, research seen by the Guardian suggests.

A study due to be released this week will say that parliamentary employees who have a range of protected characteristics under equality legislation are more likely to suffer disparities in pay.

The research claims women earn on average £1,000 less each year than men working in similar jobs and disabled employees £646 less than able-bodied colleagues.

The findings are outlined in a report that will be published by the GMB union on Wednesday and are based on data collected after the 2024 general election. The union will say that “multiple” staffers have described parliament as a “very white and middle-class” environment.

The paper is expected to add that employees with multiple protected characteristics are hardest hit by pay disparity, saying its data suggests women of colour in parliamentary jobs earn on average almost £6,000 less annually than white men.

It will say that transgender, non-binary and gay staff also appear to suffer pay discrimination, and that constituency caseworkers are poorly compensated compared with their counterparts in Westminster, despite often being at the “frontline” of parliamentary work. It will add that these pay gaps appear to widen over time, suggesting those with protected characteristics progress more slowly in parliamentary careers.

The union said it analysed a sample of 174 cases from staff across the House of Commons and House of Lords who agreed to share pay and equality information.

The full extent of pay inequality among parliamentary staffers has long been unclear, as they are employed directly by MPs or members of the Lords, rather than by parliament itself. Only employers with more than 250 staff are required to publish gender pay gap data. There is no legal requirement at present to publish information on pay disparities based on other protected characteristics, such as race and disability, although the government plans to introduce this.

The report is expected to recommend a range of measures aimed at addressing pay discrimination, including mandatory pay gap reporting.

The Guardian understands the GMB data does not indicate how parliamentarians from each of the major parties compare, as part of a desire by the union to present the research as “apolitical”.

The GMB report adds that, of the staff in its sample who raised concerns about pay or discrimination, just 17% felt their issue was adequately addressed. The union said it had found evidence that many MPs had “not even taken minimal action” to address pay equality issues.

Kartik Sawhney, a senior parliamentary researcher and the race officer for the parliamentary branch of the GMB union, said the findings of the report were “stark and inexcusable”.

He added: “Parliament should be a model for equality, not a mirror of inequality. Talented, hard-working staff are being left behind because of their gender, race or disability. That’s unacceptable. We need more robust data monitoring, fairer systems and structural change to end this injustice.”

Holly Williamson, the union’s parliamentary equalities officer, added: “This report confirms what many of us already know: women, non-white and disabled colleagues work just as hard, but are paid less. The most emotionally demanding roles, often held by those from protected groups, are also the lowest paid. Parliament must do better.”