Council staff in one of London’s most ethnically diverse boroughs have accused bosses of institutional racism, claiming that racial tension is escalating at the local authority with devastating consequences.
In a strongly worded letter to councillors in Lambeth, a group of staff who call themselves Lambeth Black Workers write of the “despair, humiliation, disappointments, rejection and loss of staff unity that are direct consequences of racism at workâ€.
Last year Lambeth Unison conducted a survey of black members of the union about racism. Of the more than 100 workers who responded, half (50%) said they had witnessed or experienced racism from managers in the past two years, and more than a third (35%) said they had witnessed or experienced racism from colleagues.
Almost two-thirds (65%) said they did not believe white managers treated all people equally during the course of a restructure, and 56% felt reorganisations were used as an opportunity to make BAME staff redundant.
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45