ASIAN and black male workers are still earning on average £97 per week less than their white counterparts according to a new report.

The TUC report entitled 'Black and Excluded' has found alarming differences in pay within black and Asian communities. It found that Pakistani and Bangladeshi men earn £150 less per week than their white counterparts.

However, Black and Asian women fare better and on average earn £7 per week more than white women - this the report claims is largely due to them being more likely to have full-time jobs.

Pakistani and Bangladeshi women yet remain at the bottom of the earning ladder, earning on average £34 per week less than white women.

Indian men fared better than other minority groups earning only £5 less than their white counterparts.

Among the causes it cites as leading to this disparity are language skills, education, discrimination, occupation and social exclusion.

In relation to occupation it refers to the another study for the office of National statistics. It showed that nearly 1 in 5 Indian and Pakistani women are employed in the manufacturing industry and Pakistani men are over-represented in textiles and clothing.

The report among other things calls for an extension of the general duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act of 2000 to the private and voluntary sectors. It says, 'We see no reason for different sectors within the economy to be moving forward on equality at different speeds.'

John Monks, TUC Genral Secretary said, "New laws in the public sector will make a difference - these must now be extended to end the unfairness in pay for black and Asian workers."