CWU REPORT OF THE

2017 TUC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

  1. Introduction

The 2017 TUC Women’s Conferenced was themed: “Women in Unions leading the Fight” which took place from Wednesday 8th March to Friday 10th March 2017 at TUC Congress, London W1. The CWU was represented by: Mrs Linda Roy (National Equality Officer); Dale-Marie Biben; Mel Cambridge; Clare Drummond, Kathryn Mary Kelly; Jacky Morrey; Morag Rose; Jean Sharrocks (CWU Women’s Advisory Committee, Chair); Vicki Turner (CWU Women’s Advisory Committee, Vice Chair); Julia Upton (CWU NEC) and Pauline Granstan (CWU Researcher).

Maria Exall, TUC Women’s Committee and CWU member chaired the 2017 TUC Women’s Conference.

  1. Motions

There were 51 motions admitted to the agenda plus 3 emergency motions as follows:

Composite No. 1: (Motions Nos. 1, 2 and amendment and motion No. 3) “Brexit and Equality Rights”. The composite was carried with CWU support.

Composite No. 2: (Motions Nos. 4 & 5) “NHS Staff from the EU”. The composite was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 6: “Championing our Public Services” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 7: (and amendment): on “Organising Migrant Women” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 8: “Education, Inclusion and Safe Communities for Migrant Women” was carried with CWU support.

Motions No. 9: (and amendments) on “The impact of cuts to social security” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 10: “Impact of Probation Privation” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 11: “Housing and Planning Act” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 12: “Digitalisation of the Economy and Impact on Women at Work” was moved by Unite, the Union and seconded by Clare Drummond, CWU. In seconding the motion, Clare gave examples of her experience working for Royal Mail (RM). Since the privatisation of RM, the restrictions posed by the government regulator, OFCOM and the pressure to compete has brought added pressure to employees as managers excessively micro manage and new technology means an employee can be located to a ‘pin-point. The motion was carried.

Motion No. 13: “A fair deal for women in the new world of work” ,was moved by Vicki Turner of the CWU. Vicki reminded Conference that the UK labour market was highly segregated with women predominantly to be found in caring and service occupations, low paid and part time work. This has contributed to a huge gender pay gap. Women needed a fair deal to close the gender pay gap. A fair deal would include getting rid of any barriers that stop women from getting better paid jobs; and helping parents to share out caring responsibilities more equally. The motion was carried overwhelmingly.

Motion No. 14: “Working conditions” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 15: “Unconscious bias” was carried with CWU support.

Composite No. 3 (motions nos. 16, 17 and 18) “Ending pregnancy discrimination” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 19: “Breastfeeding: a human right” was carried with CWU support.

Composite No. 4: (motions, 20, 21, 22 and 23) “Ending the gender pay gap” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 24: “Widening gender inequality” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 25: “Fair treatment for women and pensions” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 26 (and amendment): “Women’s pensions” was carried with CWU support.

Composite No. 5 (motions nos. 27 and 28): “Supporting older women at work” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 29: “Women’s PPE – one size does not fit all” was moved by Prospect and seconded by Jacky Morrey of the CWU. Jacky gave her own experience of being issued with the same PPE as that issued to male engineers but of course, one size does not fit all which has created many challenges for female engineers. The motion was carried.

Motion No. 30: “Women’s Uniform”was moved by RMT and seconded by Clare Drummond, CWU. Clare spoke of the experience of CWU women and the challenges faced on the issue of uniforms by Royal Mail. The trousers and the women’s’ style did not fit very well she said. One of her comrades approached Royal Mail about the problem and after 3 years, a small but significant change has been achieved, although she is still being classified as male she is able to get uniform that fits. The motion was carried.

Motion No. 31:“Outdoor working conditions” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 32:“Mental health” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 33: “Women and the crisis in mental health funding” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 34: “Mental health and wellbeing of women teachers” was carried with CWU support.

Motions No. 35: (and amendments): “First aid training” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 36: “Tackling rising mental ill health among young women”was moved by Morag Rose of the CWU. Morag reminded conference that the impact of mental illness can be devastating in all aspects of a person’s life, yet government action has done little to improve mental health services. Young women are considered a high risk group in terms of mental health. More needs to be done to help young people with mental health issues and the CWU called on the trade union movement and the wider public to raise awareness of mental health conditions in the workplace. The motion was carried.

Motion No. 37: “Young women and trade unions” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 38: “Widening access to STEM careers” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 39: “Supporting women in male-dominated industries” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 40: “Inspiring women” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 41: “Safer trains” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 42: “Violence against women” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 43: “Sexism is a hate crime” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 44: “Sexual bullying in the workplace” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No.45: “Sexual harassment in the workplace” was carried with CWU support

Motion No. 46: “Domestic abuse and sexual violence” was carried with CWU support.

Composite No. 6 (motions 47 and 48): “Zero tolerance of violence against women working in prisons” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 49: “Cyber abuse and its toll on women journalists” was carried with CWU support.

Motion No. 50: “Decriminalisation of sex work”. The Women’s Committee issue a statement opposing motion no. 50. The motion was not carried on a card vote of: for: 44 and against: 89.

Motion No. 51: “Making tax digital – impact on freelance journalists” was withdrawn.

Emergency motion No. 1: “Women’s health” was carried with CWU support.

Emergency motion No. 2: “50 years on from the abortion act: abortion rights are human rights” was carried.

Emergency motion No. 3: “Equality Human Rights Commission union members sacked by email” was carried with CWU support.

  1. Motion to TUC Congress

Composite Motion No. 4: Ending the Gender pay gap was selected to go TUC Congress.

  1. Speakers

There were a number of guest speakers to the 2017 TUC Women’s conference including:

  • Sarah Champion, MP Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities.
  • Esther Lynch, Confederal Secretary, ETUC
  • Mary Bousted, President of the TUC
  • Video message from Huber Ballesteros, Colombia Trade Union leader.
  1. Panel Discussion

A panel discussion on “Violence Against Women” took place on Friday 10th March. Speakers included:

  • MaraiLasai, Director IMKAAN and Co-Chair End Violence Against Women Coalition
  • Karen Ingala-Smith, NIA and the Counting Dead Women Project
  • Dr. Jane Pillinger, author of ETUC report on VAWG
  • Chair: Cheryl Gedling, TUC Women’s Committee.
  1. TUC 2017/2018 Women’s Committee

The following were elected to the 2017/2018 TUC Women’s Committee:

SECTION A

NAME OF CANDIDATE

/

UNION REPRESENTED

Tracy Barlow / Community
Ruth Cross / USDAW
Kathy Duggan / NASUWT
Kathy Dyson / Musician Union
Mary Jane Herbison / National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers
Diana Holland / Unite the Union

NAME OF CANDIDATE

/ UNION REPRESENTED
Vicky Knight / University and College Union
Evelyn Martin, MBE / GMB
Lucia McKeever / UNISON
Heather McKenzie / National Union of Teachers
Deborah Reay / ASLEF
Jean Rogers / Equity
Linda Roy / CWU
Samantha (Sam) Rye / Fire Brigades’ Union

SECTION B

Ruth Duncan / NASUWT
Susan Matthews / Unite the Union
Sujuta Patel / Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Eleanor Smith / UNISON

SECTION C

Helen O’Neil / NASUWT
Lorraine Parker DelazAjete / GMB

SECTION D

Natalie Linder / Royal College of Midwives
  1. Credentials

The customary vote of thanks was given.

The following were registered for TUC Women’s Conference:

  • 294 delegates
  • 30 Trade Unions
  • 41 visitors
  • 24 Trade Councils
  • 2 media
  • Exhibitors

Conference closed at approximately 1.30 p.m.

RD17-05-71

16th May 2017

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