- Conference
- 2010 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 20 October 2009
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
The role of job sharing a post in an employer’s organisation or at Branch or Regional committee seems to work well for women and in the case of UNISON seems to be an effective tool to engage women from various Service Groups to become first interested then active lay members.
It seems to fall down when reaching National levels though, as even if you agree to fully support a job share position, such as National Women’s member from a Regional committee you will be denied full ability to access to the privileges unless you are both elected from the same Service Group.
For example, two women, both form Local Government, will be fully exchangeable even though they may be from different geographical areas in their Region. If one woman worked in Local government and the other from another Service Group, Health for example, neither will be allowed to represent National Women’s Committee at the other’s specific conference.
Following on from the difficulties women face on becoming active at this level, setting the bar too high to vault over again marginalises the small groups of women who have bothered to apply or wish to embrace the idea of sharing in sisterhood.
Conference directs the National Women’s Committee taking account of the NEC guidelines on job sharing which apply to all UNISON national committees, to provide:
1)More accurate information and an explanation of how job sharing works in senior UNISON structures/committees.
2)Accurate information of the benefits and disadvantages of job sharing for delegates and committee members.