MENOPAUSE

Roughly half of UK workers are women, all of whom will experience the menopause in some form. Conference notes that the definition of menopause is a lack of menstruation for one full year. It usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55 but it can develop before or after this age range.In the UK, […]

GENDER PAY GAP

2020 is the 50th Anniversary of the introduction of The Equal Pay ActConference celebrates the successes of UNISON in using the legislation to achieve equal pay for large numbers of its low paid women members, in particular those in local government. Conference welcomes that in 2017 the Government introduced compulsory gender pay gap reporting for […]

Branch Women’s Officer Role

Conference note that following a rule change passed at National Delegates Conference 2018, Rule G 4.1.1 states that a Women�s Officer shall be one of the general officers of the branch. It is unknown how many branches are adhering to this new rule change, therefore, conference calls on the National Women�s Committee to:1)Undertake a survey […]

SUPPORTING REPS WHO OFFER WORKPLACE SUPPORT WOMEN AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Conference notes the research conducted by Bennett, Jones and Wibberley in 2018 for the TUC and University of Central Lancashire on �The role of trade union officers and reps in supporting employees who are experiencing domestic violence/abuse. This calls for resources and support to be directed towards giving union reps the skills required to provide […]

Workplace support for mothers with premature or sick babies

The birth of a child is usually a very special time, but unfortunately, it can be testing if the baby is born prematurely or with complex health needs. In the UK, roughly 60,000 babies are born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) or sick every year. When a baby is born prematurely or is […]

Bring Parity to Shared Parental Leave

This conference welcomes the introduction of Shared Parental Leave in 2015, allowing both parents to have some flexibility in the care and bonding with their child in the first crucial months after birth. UNISON shared the view of many women�s rights organisations at the time, that in order to inject speed into achieving women�s equality, […]

Stalking

The crime of stalking can be simply described as the unwanted pursuit of another person. Examples of this type of behaviour includes following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property. Stalking is a horrific crime which can […]

Breastfeeding and lactation facilities in the workplace

NHS advice is that breastfeeding has long-term benefits for babies and mothers, lasting right into adulthood. Any amount of breast milk has a positive effect. The longer a baby is breastfed, the longer the protection lasts and the greater the benefits. Breastfeeding reduces a baby’s risk of:;infections, with fewer visits to hospital as a result […]

Re-Inspiring Women

Women in the trade union movement have always played a significant role in social movements and social change. We can be proud of the role that Trade Union women played in achieving the Scottish Parliament and the 50/50 campaign amongst others. In the same way, the women of the Trade Union movement, played a major […]

Impact of Domestic Abuse on Workers

Conference notes that the impact of domestic abuse is far ranging and will and does inevitably affect workers, colleagues, families and friends.It is important that domestic abuse isn�t ignored or misunderstood within the workplace. We welcome the fact that UNISON recognises that domestic abuse is a trade union issue; has developed information and guidance and […]

THE IMPACT OF WELFARE CUTS ON WOMEN

From late 2008, the UK Government set out a programme of austerity that has continued for over 10 years. Cuts in public spending have been shown to have particular impact on certain groups in society. In 2011, 270,000 public sector jobs were cut as austerity measures started to bite. Research from the Runnymede Trust and […]

BREXIT AND THE IMPACT ON WOMEN IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Women in Northern Ireland are greatly under-represented in public and political life. This was clearly evident in the lead up to the Brexit referendum and remains a worrying issue in the current Brexit negotiations. Under-representation in political negotiations and decision-making, alongside several other areas lacking in gender parity such as access to education, training, work, […]

Time off for dependants (TOFD) and special leave � a woman’s burden

From birth society has always set the role of women at home and in the workplace. While this has been challenged and continues to be, there is still a long way to go. Society still sees women as the main care giver and this may be why some types of leave that is predominately utilised […]

Gender Pay Gap

Conference notes that a quarter of companies and public sector bodies still have a pay gap of more than 20% in favour of men.Almost 8 in 10 companies still pay male employees more. The 9,961 companies that filed their figures by the 4 April 2019, 7,755 paid male employees more.The regulations are not tough enough; […]

Health & Safety Testing – A world built for men

For too long, women have been forgotten in the design process. Criado Perez�s recent book �Invisible Women� explains how men�s dominance of the design industry has had a major impact on women�s health and safety.Not only do less women than men work in the design industry, designs are generally created with men in mind, and […]