- Conference
- 2016 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 15 October 2015
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that we are facing ever harsher attacks on our pay, terms and conditions, benefits and living standards. We are expected to do more for less, covering unfilled and deleted posts, while services we rely on disappear and housing costs spiral. As always, women bear the brunt of it.
Under the Tory government, our facility time, our right to take industrial action and even our right to collect subs are all under increasing threat. The Tories aim to leave our members feeling isolated and weaker because of that isolation, by demonising trade unions and trade unionists.
They want us to give up but we are proud to be in UNISON. We know that the only response is for women to get organised. Recruiting new members, improving density and increasing the women’s activist base have never been more important.
Conference notes that trade unions play a vital role in improving the employment conditions of women and advancing workplace gender equality. Women in all countries are the largest group of marginalised citizens and workers. We also know that the workplace offers a unique opportunity to improve women’s lives and opportunities. Belonging to a trade union increases women’s ability to challenge their inequality of opportunity; ending discrimination at work is an essential step in making that a reality. Concerns such as equal pay for work of equal value, sexual harassment, provision of child care and parental leave are increasingly being treated as mainstream trade union issues, as is ending violence against women.
Conference believes UNISON has a good track record in speaking to women. But we need to keep doing more. We must find different ways to approach members and potential members, to get the message out to show them that they are not isolated and that we are still stronger together.
With workplaces increasingly fragmented, we must reach women through community based activities. One example is over the last twelve months, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members have been staffing stalls at community events across Britain, engaging with existing members, encouraging activism and recruiting new members. Conference reaffirms its belief that “like recruits like”, with women recruiters most likely to involve other women.
We must expand our use of the UNISON website, social media and other online tools, such as the UNISON app, Organising Space and Team UNISON – the online skills bank. We recognise that these tools can only be effective if members are signed up to receive updates. And we must all make sure our membership and contact details are kept up to date. Correct membership data is essential to help us beat the challenges from this government and employers on the validity of industrial action ballots and if Tory threats on check off/DOCAS are realised.
Conference welcomes the fact that LGBT women have always been an active and vibrant part of our UNISON women’s movement. However conference is concerned that LGBT women are not always as visible as they should be. There is more we can be doing to encourage LGBT women to be involved and heard. We recognise that LGBT women will be reached through Black, disabled, young, migrant workers and retired members networks as well as through the LGBT and women’s networks.
Conference calls on the National Women’s Committee to:
1)Further develop and promote tools to assist with women’s recruitment and organising objectives;
2)Urge women members to make sure their UNISON membership details are kept up to date;
3)Encourage increased participation in our women’s networks from LGBT women;
4)Encourage branches, regions and service groups to involve self-organised, young, retired and migrant workers networks in developing and implementing recruitment and organising strategies aimed at the diversity of women.
