- Conference
- 2022 Police & Justice Service Group Conference
- Date
- 14 June 2022
- Decision
- Carried
This conference condemns any behaviour that falls within the categories of sexism, harassment and misogyny. We are a union that at its core, has values that support the inclusion of women at all levels within our organisation. Women make up the majority membership within UNISON which is reflected within our Service Group.
We all have a duty to challenge this sort of behaviour, wherever we witness or experience it either as union representatives or as employees. Women must feel safe within the workplace and the activities of our union and importantly feel supported as victims and survivors.
Any complaints must be taken seriously, and victims and survivors given the opportunity and reassurance that their complaints will be taken seriously and investigated.
Conference commends the leadership shown by the Police and Justice Service Group in recent years. In 2018 they published the results of a major survey of sexual harassment in police forces in England, Scotland and Wales, undertaken in partnership with the London School of Economics (LSE). This partnership led to a successful major National campaign within policing called “know the lines”.
Other initiatives such as #MeToo have highlighted the difficulties women and girls face on a regular basis. The terrible murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer was a stark reminder that predators can exist in any position of authority and be enabled by a hostile culture.
We must do all we can to support women against these threats by monitoring and challenging our own behaviour. UNISON members and officials must set the standards and enforce our values.
Conference therefore calls upon the SGE to:
1)Put out a statement affirming its commitment to supporting victims and survivors and challenging sexism, harassment and misogyny within our membership and our employers;
2)Survey members to identify patterns and concerns that women have in the workplace and report back to the next Service Group Conference on a strategy to support women who experience such behaviour;
3)Encourage men to be part of the solution and not the problem;
4)Produce Service Group specific materials re-establishing our values and support for women’s safety at work, union activities and, where possible, wider society.