EMPLOYERS in East Lancashire should set themselves voluntary targets to employ more workers from ethnic minorities.

The call, from Mike Madigan, of the Ethnic Minorities Development Association in Blackburn, follows a TUC report that claimed many highly qualified Asian and black workers were being discriminated against.

The TUC believes firms should be forced to monitor the numbers of black and Asian workers it employs in relation to the local population. Mr Madigan welcomed the call and said that Asian workers locally were seriously under represented in the workforces of major employers.

"You only have to look at the two biggest employers in Blackburn - the council and the health trust - to see that the percentages of ethnic workers employed fall well short of the overall percentage of the workforce," said Mr Madigan.

"They do monitor their workforces, selection procedures and so on but most employers don't." He said a lack of cultural awareness and in some cases prejudice were contributing to the overall problem.

"Long term I believe the only real solution would be some form of positive discrimination enforceable by law but that doesn't seem to be on the agenda at the moment."

But Mr Madigan said employers could try and improve the situation by setting themselves voluntary targets.

"The retail sector in this area seems to have made a lot of progress in recruiting more Asian workers and recognising their skills. Perhaps other employers should look at what they have done."

The TUC report found that despite achieving higher levels of qualifications, black and Asian workers face fewer chances.

Ten years ago 30 per cent of white workers were managers or supervisors, compared with 25 per cent of black employees.

By 1999, the figure for white people had risen by 0.4 per cent, but for black workers it had fallen to 24 per cent.

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