in UNISON

The regional women’s and equalities’ officer
gave a presentation to the regional council in
May on proportionality, fair representation
and equality in UNISON. This was partly in
response to motion 30, “Proportionality” but
also an identified concern about the
understanding of the significance of equality,
the rules and their importance as a tool for
improving branch organisation and their
growth.
Education & Training – The committee works
closely with the regional education and
training team to influence the training
programme. Women-only courses delivered
are:
Branch women officers’ training (April)
Assertiveness and confidence building
(May)
Return to learn
The SOG networking day in April was
attended by some members of the
committee.
Prides, Respects and Tolpuddle festivals –
women have worked with other selforganised
groups , Black members, LGBT and
disabled members staffing stalls at events ,
giving out information, talking to current
members and recruiting new ones.
Regional Women’s Conference, Saturday 26 th
September, Bristol
The conference addressed issues that support
the NWC (and RWC) workplan in the form of
workshops that were held and guest speakers
who delivered very powerful speeches:
Finn Mackay, feminist campaigner and
activist, who spoke about “Campaigning
Against Prostitution and For Prostitution Law
Reform – A Trade Union Issue”. She talked of
child prostitution, and people trafficking and
called it the cause, and consequence of
inequality in society. It is more lucrative to
traffic women for the sex "industry" than it is
to traffic arms or ammunition. She asked
why our society feels that it is a "human right"
to be allowed to purchase the body of
another in this way and that the majority of
people who access prostitutes are males in
their 30s who are married. Many women in
their feedback rated Finn’s speech as the
highlight of the day.
Joanne Kaye, SW regional secretary,
addressed the challenges facing UNISON
women both locally, regionally and nationally.
She talked about women being hit by the
bedroom tax, zero hours contracts, health
service funding, domestic violence, working
tax credits cuts, public sector pay freezes and
the Trade Union Bill. She finished with the
rallying cry that women have ended up in the
firing line of the conservatives, don't just sit
and take the bullets, get out there, protest,
and win some changes!
Debi Potter, NEC member, who spoke of her
trade union journey from being a nonmember,
to a non-active member, to a serial
UNISON course-goer and to her involvement
at a regional and national level within the
union. It was an inspiring speech for women
as she concluded that she has learned to try
things out for herself, not just to take others'
word for it and that we should never accept
the labels other people stick on you.
Workshops included:
• Empowering young women and
campaigning (motion 2)
• Mental health – looking after yourself in
the workplace (motion 15)
• Challenging the myths – women and Islam
• Speaking out
• Thrifty ways to survive austere days
• Singing Caribbean style (motion 26) –
Jamaican song and story
• Drumming
Every member who attended the conference
was given a health pack which included
information on endometriosis and
adenomyosis (motion 19) and fibroids
(motion 17). Feedback was overwhelmingly
positive.
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