Cross-functioning across Clean and Waste Sites.

The latest reorganisations within several of the water companies seem to have turned the clock back and brought clean and waste water operatives working together and cross functioning across sites. This seems to us to be a backward step. The risk of contamination to workers and the public was a major reason why these streams […]

Impact of Water and Sewage Assets on Health & Safety.

Because of how the Water Companies are funded by OFWAT whose priority is value for money for the consumer and also the companies adopting risk-based strategies in order to deliver maximum profits for their owners, very little money is spent on maintaining our assets. Customer pressure groups objecting to high profits and increasing bills compound […]

The Public Sector Equality Duty

Conference notes that the Equality Act 2010 harmonised former equality legislation – the Sex Discrimination Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Race Relations (amendment) Act and related legislation. Although the 2010 Act failed to meet the aspirations of many interested parties, including UNISON, there are significant benefits for employees and public sector services. However, […]

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR EMPLOYER BEING WITH FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUESTS

Too many employers view flexible working as only benefiting the employee. Some employers believe that a desire to work flexibly implies a lack of commitment, that it is primarily a benefit for working mothers and that it will breed resentment among those who don’t work flexibly. These attitudes represent the biggest obstacle to flexible working. […]

SICKNESS ABSENCE POLICIES THAT PENALISE WOMEN UNJUSTLY

The majority of employees in the public sector are women and many of them will experience at some time in their working lives health related absences that result in intrusive and harsh management responses as a consequence of rigid sickness absence policies – often based on the ‘Bradford Factor’ – a human resources tool widely […]

PROTECTED GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES

In her speech to the annual Women’s Aid National Conference in July 2010 Teresa May claimed “Violence against women is and always has been a priority for me and my ambition is nothing less than ending it”. She promised to ensure that ending violence against women would remain a priority for the coalition government. However, […]

WOMEN AND UK ONLINE

This conference notes that increasing pressure is being placed on households to communicate and gather vital information, and to carry out transactions such as buying licences and paying bills, via the internet. Conference is aware that there are very many current and retired women public service workers, on very low incomes for whom the purchase […]

A MILLION WOMEN UNITED AGAINST CUTS

The coalition government’s emergency budget claimed to be fair, but cuts in jobs and wages, and changes to benefits and taxes, will impact hardest on women – particularly low paid women and their families: 1)Sixty five per cent of public sector workers are women, and almost a quarter of working women are in public sector […]

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

With the General Election over and a Con Dem Coalition in Government, the proposed cuts to public services will have a dramatic effect on the lives of women. Statistics show that many women do not use their vote and do not feel that casting their vote is important. In May 2011 the local elections will […]

REMOVAL OF ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES/ENHANCEMENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON LOW PAID AND PART-TIME WOMEN WORKERS

Conference is alarmed at Birmingham City Council’s threat to remove additional allowances, night shift enhance pay, car allowances and entitlement of meals which forms part of the employees terms and condition of employment, the most effected will be low paid and part time female workers as well as Black female workers who depend on this […]

IVF POLICIES

When a woman embarks on IVF treatment she declares in advance she is planning to have a baby. An employer may discriminate against her either intentionally or otherwise by not sending her on training courses or holding her back from promotion as “she’ll probably be on maternity leave next year”. As well as fear of […]