THE TUC slammed the Tory record on tackling racism at work in government as “dire” and used the UN anti-racism day today to warn that it will get worse.

The trade union body said the Conservative government’s record on tackling racism at work will worsen unless it drops the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill and Retained EU Law Bill.

The warning came as the two pieces of legislation continue to progress through parliament, with the strikes Bill due back in the House of Lords on Thursday.

If passed it will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they could be forced to attend work and sacked if they do not comply.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said both Bills will make black and ethnic minority (BME) workers more vulnerable to unfair treatment by unscrupulous employers.

“The Conservatives have a dire record on tackling racism at work – and it will only get worse unless they ditch the strikes Bill and Retained EU Law Bill,” he said.

“Too often black and ethnic minority workers are paid less for doing the same job as their white colleagues, too often they are on insecure contracts and too often they are treated unfairly at work.

“This Conservative government has turned a blind eye while institutional racism has tightened its grip on the labour market.”

According to the union body, BME workers are overrepresented in the health and transport sectors affected by the legislation and, as a result, could be disproportionately hit by the Bill.

The TUC also warned that the strikes Bill could see BME workers unfairly targeted for dismissal by unscrupulous employers.

“Ministers must do the right thing and drop these damaging Bills before it’s too late,” Mr Nowak said.

The Retained EU Law Bill could also undermine key protections for BME workers and put them at greater risk of discrimination and ill-treatment in a labour market rife with discrimination.

TUC analysis shows BME workers are overrepresented on insecure contracts with BME women twice as likely to be on zero-hours contracts as white men.

The union body’s research published last year found that two in five BME people have faced racism at work in the last five years, ranging from “banter” and jokes to bullying and harassment.