JUST two per cent of staff working at Glasgow City Council’s largest arm’s length body come from a black and minority ethnic background, a study has revealed.

The biannual report shows 41 out of 2,045 workers at Glasgow Life identified themselves as black and minority ethnic (BME).

This is despite 12 per cent – or 72, 756 – of the city’s 606,300 population coming from a BME background.

Chief executive of the council Annemarie O’Donnell said there are “significant challenges” for people who “face barriers” due to their race.

The latest figures, collected up to the end of March this year, record employment equalities information for arm’s length external organisations (ALEO), which includes City Building, City Parking, City Property, Glasgow Life, Community Safety Glasgow and Clyde Gateway.

Glasgow Life, which aims to inspire citizens to lead more active lives through culture, sport and learning, has around 32 staff who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual while around 90 staff reported they have a disability. Its workforce is 52 per cent female.

READ MORE: Pride Glasgow announce 2019 festival dates

The second largest ALEO is City Building (Glasgow), one of Scotland’s largest construction companies. It has 1345 full-time equivalent staff, with 1.9 per cent – around 26 – from a BME background. The workforce is 88 per cent male.

No information was collected on sexual orientation and 9.4 per cent of staff said they had a disability.

City Building (Contracts) has 330 workers, 93 per cent are male and three per cent report a disability.

Around four staff come from a BME background.

Community Safety Glasgow has now moved under the Council’s umbrella so will no longer feature in data.

Its final study found around 14 of 332 staff members come from the BME community. Only three workers said they identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual while around 18 had a disability.

City Parking staff are 63 per cent male and, of the 159-strong workforce, three members said they were gay, lesbian or bisexual, three said they had a disability and five were from a BME background.

There are 80 staff at City Property, with one BME member and one identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

READ MORE: Council 'failing Glasgow's diverse pupils' as Urdu classes dwindle

No data on the ethnicity or sexual orientation of staff at Clyde Gateway, a regeneration programme, was collected.

Annemarie O’Donnell said: “Although outcomes are generally improving for residents, there are still significant challenges for the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the city, and for those who face barriers because of their race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion or belief.”

She added that the Equality Act 2010 includes a public sector duty which means the Council must pay due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not and eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

A number of activities have been undertaken by the Council to progress equality. This includes establishing an LGBTI+ and a BME employee network to provide support.

Read more of today's top Glasgow stories.

The council says it is committed to ensuring that no discrimination occurs during recruitment processes and ensures all employees have equal access to appropriate training.