- Conference
- 2005 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 21 October 2004
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
According to UNISON figures, almost a quarter of UNISON reps are not given paid time off and a further fifth only receive one hour or less a week.
It is likely that women activists bear the brunt of inadequate facility time because:
1)most facility time agreements are old and have not been adjusted to reflect the recent growth in women’s activism and the types of role they have taken on;
2)women may work in jobs where release is more difficult because of their involvement in direct service delivery;
3)women are more likely to work part-time.
UNISON is now conducting a facility time campaign with the aims of both increasing the amount of facility time available and distributing it more equitably. Women members need to be aware of this in order that their needs for facility time are addressed in this campaign.
Conference calls upon the National Women’s Committee to publicise the facility time (Time to Act) campaign to women members, and build on its findings that under-represented groups such as shift workers, part-time workers and self-organised groups are the most disadvantaged when facility time agreements are made. Conference seeks rightful recognition of self-organisation and equalities by readdressing the imbalance of how current facility time is allocated to key activists of UNISON. Therefore, Conference calls upon the National Women’s Committee to work closely with the National Executive Council to make the changes necessary to empower these activists at local branch level.