NOT A single black or ethnic minority council employee in York or East Yorkshire is in the top five per cent of earners, according to a new survey.

City of York Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council are at the very bottom of a "league of shame" compiled by the GMB union.

None of those councils' directly-employed senior posts are held by employees from black or ethnic minority communities. North Yorkshire County Council fares little better, with less than one per cent of its top five per cent earners from such backgrounds. But City of York Council leader Steve Galloway defended the authority's record.

He said: "We have quite a lot of employees from ethnic minority backgrounds, and we operate a very strict recruitment policy which actually encourages people from all backgrounds to apply for our jobs.

"In the past, we have had black and ethnic minority people in such posts. It just so happens at the moment we don't - and to my knowledge recently we haven't had any applicants for them."

The survey was based on statistics compiled from the Audit Commission. City of York Council's low ranking is tempered by the fact that only 1.2 per cent of all people in employment in the city are from an ethnic minority.

In North Yorkshire, only 0.9 per cent of all employees are from an ethnic minority.

Martin Smith, of the GMB, said: "Some local councils have made great strides in promoting staff from black and ethnic minority communities to senior jobs in the councils.

"Other councils have a lot of ground to make up. They, and indeed other private sector employers, should seek to learn from the councils that have successfully promoted staff from black and ethnic minority communities to senior jobs.

"The UK economy as a whole benefits from using all the talents in our society. Positive action to tackle discrimination against staff from black and ethnic minority communities also makes a real contribution to developing community cohesion and represents a public commitment to equality and justice."