UNIVERSITIES are being pressed to tackle the racial pay disparity of staff after it was revealed that workers of black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds earn 26 per cent less than their white colleagues.

White academics earn an average of £52,000 a year, data obtained by the BBC through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests shows.

There are over 49,000 white academic staff members, but only 600 black and 250 Arab academic staff.

Of this number, black academics earn approximately £38,000, with Arab academics earning even less at £37,000.

The BBC sent FOI requests to all 24 universities in the Russell Group of highly selective, research-based universities, and 22 responded. 

The University and College Union (UCU) said yesterday that the BBC report showed “unacceptable” levels of pay inequality between different members of staff and called for urgent reform.

The research also shows a severe gender pay gap, with black women earning 39 per cent less than their white male counterparts.

Currently, only 26 professors in Britain are black women, and UCU research shows that 90 per cent of BAME staff in colleges have reported facing barriers to promotion.

They also said that 72 per cent of BAME university staff had experienced workplace bullying and harassment.

UCU head of equality Helen Carr said: “These findings show we still have a very long way to go in closing the pay gap for black and minority ethnic staff in our universities.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that BAME staff continue to be paid less and are underrepresented at higher levels within our universities.

“Institutions must make it a priority to address the concerns of BAME staff and work with trade unions to tackle the barriers to progression they continue to face.”

Former Labour universities minister David Lammy added: “Universities need to take a look in the mirror and realise that more needs to be done to both widen access at undergraduate level and to keep and retain a diverse cohort right through to PhDs, professorships and the very top of these institutions.”

Glasgow University employs 72 black academics, the highest of all the universities that responded – but they are paid an average of just under £23,000, or 43 per cent less than their white colleagues. 

In a statement, it said it actively encouraged BAME academics to work there, and claimed that being in the early stages of their careers accounted for the pay gap.