Railwaymen policies concerning discrimination under the Sex Discrimination Act.
The recently published Equal Opportunities Commission report revealed extensive discrimination against women in the ail industry. Responsibiliev for this lies largelv with the rail unions, and women members have been organising to take these issues.
Women lave gained confidence through participating in labour movement conferences, learning each others experiences. But these policy developments are not only the result of that women torm less than 10 per of the R. membership The debates the broader movement, within TUC, encouraged have "once to reawakened male For example, the stand taken by the TUC on sexual harassment was imporOVER THE last few years the National Union of has adopted a number of positive women. Commitments have been given by the union to fight sexual harassment at work, to establish women's advisory structures at local and national level, and to take up cases of tant for women in many.
An increasing number of unions now have committee structures, special recruitment leaflets, dealing with harassment discrimination, although some are more advanced than others. This is partly because WIll high unemployment, declining and unions are looking for recruits. But those new women members have a right to expect something from the union.
Expect For over a 100 years unions have been happy to take membership subscripoft women, yet still nave BIOL denieved equal pay, equal . opporLultily. vironment free narassment and discrimination. Women will again be in a tiny minority at this year's TUC congress, and dIC completely under-represented at all level of union structures.
which have tessue. been thoroughly debated at this year's Scottish TUC and women's con-! ferences, from the perspective women unionists, have no guarantee at all of being raised The Women in the unions are fighting to establish their rights frustration women feel with situation is reflected Hite growing • changes which the STUC TUC conferences. Changes such as extra women's seats on the general council. of the women's conference submit resolutions the STUC agenda, other steps for positive action for women within the labour The resolution COHSE at the TUC this year, by number amendments, calls on the TUC to make the fight for equal pay number one priority. Thi resolution must be supported, but the tight to actually implement it will be the real test. ago, in the 18h05, the Yar hundred committed itselt to equa pay. If we are to be sure of advancing the position of women workers, women must have a central place in all the labour and trade movement structures. Ministry The amendment from NUPE refers to the pro-government establishes ministry for calls for conference to sup port that This move within tae Labour rarty l to be welcomed but car be successful if it is backed up by women takIng their rightful place within the Labour Parts structures and future government Already we can see that the number of women selected parliamentary didates for Labour is tiny.
Recognising the contiunder-representation of women in the Labour Party, the conference has repeatedly passed resolutions calling for the right of women to NEC submit policy resolutions to annual conference, and other constitutional measures which provide for positive discrimination the Labour Party.
Support have been growing in the labour and trade union movement for these demands. Many delegations of trade union women have supported these decisions at national This year the NUR agreeu to support we righ of Labour women's conference elect the women's seats on the NEC UCATT did likewise. And the proposal only defeated narrowly number of other unions These moves for change are closely tied to developments in the trade Weren Labour Party and women in the unions face the same under-representation harassment. They must be supported demanding their rightful place.
Low 5, las bad conditions, of childcare facilities. , discrimination all hold the whole movement back T.n f whole movement must take these issues on board listen to what the members saying.
Socialist Action 29 Aug 1986