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date: 14 January 2010

embargo: For immediate release

Progress on race equality but more action needed

Welcoming the statement on race equality published today (Thursday) by Communities Secretary John Denham, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'The introduction of the duty on public bodies to promote race equality has undoubtedly made a real difference to the way in which our schools, police forces, NHS and local councils serve and employ people from ethnic communities, but more will always need to be done.

'In particular in the private sector, employers are not required to promote race equality, just to avoid discrimination which relies on individuals pursuing complaints against employers before anything is done.

'With instances of jobseekers with non-English sounding names not being selected for interview and black and Asian employees complaining of being passed over for promotion, an extension of the equality duty into the private sector would make those employers whose discriminatory views belong to another century change the way they operate.'

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (300 words) issued 14 Jan 2010