n By Hajera Blagg
It should have been a day to celebrate for Unite branch secretary Joe McCarthy. After emigrating from Jamaica only a few years before, Joe had worked his way up from a relatively low-skilled, low-paid position in a factory making a radiators, to a small, prestigious valve engineering firm where he was learning a skilled trade.
The company, Smith Dennis Limited in Nottingham, had granted him and other engineers day release to attend college. On passing their exams, they would be given a bonus incentive. The local paper even came to write an article on those who’d completed their course.
“I passed the course with distinction, and the only other black colleague did too,” Joe explained. “But we found out later that our white colleagues, who didn’t do as well as we did on their exams for the same course, received much higher incentives than we did.
“We knew what was going on, but we couldn’t do anything about it. You see, as a black person, you’ve got to achieve more than anyone else, and even then, it often doesn’t make a difference.”
This was only one of the many experiences of racism and discrimination that Joe faced throughout his career.
Another instance happened after he left Smith Dennis, where he had honed his mechanical engineering skills over many years. He’d worked at another company for some time, then returned to Smith Dennis, which was later taken over by a different company.
“When I returned to Smith Dennis after it was taken over, I was assigned to the same machine when I first started,” Joe recalled. “I’d gone down there to start loading the machine, and I went to the gents, and a white man put a broom in my hand and told me to go clean out the toilets.”
Joe said this was, and in some ways still is, the attitude of many in the workplace – it is assumed that black and Asian ethnic minority (BAEM) workers must only have the most menial jobs. The attitude is so entrenched that it can affect BAEM workers’ perception of their own abilities.
FIND OUT MORE
If you’re interested in becoming an equalities rep or Unite’s equalities education courses see
www.unitetheunion.org/why-join/member-services/education/training-and-courses or
www.unitetheunion.org/what-we-do/equalities
27 unite buildingWORKER Autumn 2025 ‘‘
We knew what was going on, but we couldn’t do anything about it. You see, as a black person, you’ve got to achieve more than anyone else, and even then, it often doesn’t make a difference
Joe McCarthy, Unite branch secretary
“As a black child, from the moment you’re born, it’s drummed into you by everyone that you’re no good, and that white people are better than you at everything,” Joe explained.
Having grown up with this notion, Joe was shocked to his core when, in secondary school, a fellow white student asked him for help on a maths problem.
“My mind was racing like a computer trying to analyse what I’d been told my entire life – that black people weren’t capable. And here was a white student asking me, a black student, how to solve a maths problem. And I did show him how to do it. But with that one experience, I realised everything I’d been told was a lie.”
Armed with this knowledge, Joe was confident of his own capabilities, but had no idea then, after moving to the UK, of the racism he would face, especially in the workplace.
Reflecting on Joe’s personal experiences, is it any wonder, then, that so many industries, including construction, are so lacking in diversity?
According to figures from the Construction Industry Council (CIC), just 5.4 per cent of construction workers are from a black or Asian ethnic minority (BAEM) background. This is despite the fact that more than 13 per cent of the workforce as a whole is BAEM, with 40 per cent in London hailing from a non- white background.
Joe believes while things may have improved since he was a young man trying to make his way in the world, racism is still a factor pushing BAEM workers away from sectors like construction.
Although semi-retired, Joe still plays an active role in Unite as a branch secretary and supports reps after spending many decades in various roles in predecessor unions.
Joe notes that there is sometimes a lack of understanding, even among equalities reps, of racism and how it can operate in the workplace. He explains how he’s helped an equalities rep understand the nuances of racism.
“This rep is white, and he’s very dedicated to his work. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot from each other, and I’ve helped open his eyes to racism. He often comes to me for support. Most recently, he’d been challenged by members, white colleagues, who said that in his role as equalities rep, he only does things for black colleagues, which is obviously not the case. They’re looking at equalities from a very narrow perspective. It can be a real challenge explaining to both the wider workforce and to employers what the role of equalities rep is, what it entails, and why it’s so important.”
Joe said he welcomes diversity and inclusion efforts from various companies in construction, but he adds more must be done to attract more BAEM workers.
“The key is investing in our young people,” he said. “Many young people don’t want to go into construction because they think it’s a dirty job. There are also fewer opportunities for young people after they finish school. Investing in young people with quality apprenticeships can help attract a more diverse workforce.”
And ultimately, Joe adds, Unite has a vital role to play too.
“[Sadly] we have members who hold racist and far-right views. It’s fantastic the work Unite has done so far in combatting racism and far-right extremism through education, but more must be done.”
Mark Harvey
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