- Conference
- 2023 National Water, Environment & Transport Conference
- Date
- 21 February 2023
- Decision
- Carried
UNISON has approximately 5,000 Health and Safety representatives across the union working hard to defend members’ health and safety at work.
Over the past few years health and safety has emerged again as critical for protecting members’ rights at work, especially in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) service group. However, the gender balance of Health and Safety representatives in UNISON does not reflect the gender balance of our union.
Women’s health and safety is never more important – whether it is advising on maternity rights, menopause, women’s safety equipment, or areas where there is a traditional bias towards female working – we need women representing women.
Conference therefore calls on the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) Service Group Executive to:
1) Work with the National Health and Safety Forum and the National Women’s Committee to emphasise the key issues for women in the WET service group workplaces;
2) Work with the National Health and Safety Forum, and any other relevant body, to encourage women working in the WET service group to become health and safety representatives.