“A male chauvinist, capitalist government,” was Natasha Nicholson’s verdict on the coalition.
They “want us to know our place,” she said, speaking in defence of facility time at UNISON’s women’s conference in Liverpool today, “but we will not stop!”
She was joined by Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, who addressed conference, urging delegates to “fight back” against the “rich, white men” who had caused a financial crisis that had “devastated the lives of working women.”
One in every eight women are currently under-employed conference heard. TUC research had revealed that, in 2012 1,726,121 women were under-employed, an increase of 40% since 2008. This was leading to poverty, stress, anxiety and ill-health.
And the threat of poverty in old age continued. “Our job now is to resist any further threat, whether from the government or employers,” said one delegate. “We need to continue to lobby and campaign for better pensions for women.”
Conference declared that the government’s aim to increase the state retirement age to 68 had dashed the expectations of working women who will now be forced to work longer.
Katrina Murray said that the mortality rate for her area of Glasgow was 67 – meaning she was already in deficit.
