Unions & Equalities

The right to pee!

Women truck drivers who use the port of Folkestone are celebrating a breakthrough this week in their world-wide “Right to Pee” campaign. Following pressure from the TGWU the Harbour Master at the cross channel port has announced the opening of a women’s toilet. The new facility at the HGV parking area will also be protected for women’s use by a special key system. Local T&G branch secretary Rachael Webb, said the inspiration had come from women bus workers in Bristol who started the campaign with a resolution to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). “It comes to something when...

GMB Shout

GMB Shout is the LGBT group set up by activists in the GMB. It meets in London and organises around GMB equalities events. There’s no formal recognition by the GMB. GMB Shout! now has a confidential helpline. The number is 020 7801 2780. This has been set up for LGBT GMB members so you can leave messages, for any number of reasons. For example, it could be used as a first point of contact for a new network member. Or, if you are unable to attend meetings, then you could provide us with your views and ideas on agenda items, or you could suggest venues for our events or ideas for future...

It's not a "man's job", it's my job

Thoughts from women railway workers (collected from workmates and RMT women's conference) ...

  • "Sometimes, you feel like you're on trial for the entire female sex. If a bloke makes a mistake, it's 'Fred's having a bad day', but if I do, it's 'Women can't do the job'."
  • "I really enjoy my job, and...

Equal pay victory

By Nick Holden One thousand five hundred women working at Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumbria Hospital have won a historic victory in their eight-year battle for equal pay with traditionally male jobs in the NHS. The women’s occupations range from nurses and healthcare assistants to catering assistants, domestics, clerical officers, sewing machine assistants, porters and telephonists. Equal value claims were lodged in August 1997 for 14 different working categories, using five different male comparators: craftsmen/joiners, building labourers/wall washers, works officers, craftsmen...

Carlisle equal pay case

Unison has claimed victory in a landmark sex discrimination case which could see hundreds of NHS staff in Cumbria win thousands of pounds of back pay. But the case may be far from over. Unison’s press release of 14 February said they had “won £300m for women working for North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust” and suggesting that the Employment Tribunal had finally ruled in the workers’ favour. This isn’t entirely true. Following several weeks of negotiations with the Trust, Unison’s national officers say that they reached agreement “on all substantive matters”, which would provide “compensation” for...

Journalists resist racist proprietors

By a member of NUJ London freelance branch At the start of the year, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) chapel at Express and Star newspapers (Daily and Sunday Express, and The Star) resisted the pressure of proprietor Richard Desmond to publish racist articles against asylum-seekers, particularly against the East European Roma people that the papers said would flood into Britain after the 1 May enlargement of the EU. The chapel has called for the help of the Press Complaints Commission in standing up to Desmond, and passed the following policy: "This chapel expresses its disapproval of...

Unions challenge Blair on gay equality

Trade unions are challenging the Government in court to give full employment rights for their lesbian, gay and bisexual members. The case begins on 17 March at the High Court in the Strand, against the Government's inadequate implementation of the EU Sexual Orientation Employment regulations, which were brought in on 1 December last year. The TUC is coordinating the action, but it is being brought by seven unions including the teaching unions NUT and NATFHE, other public sector unions, including UNISON, TGWU, and AMICUS, the union representing the clergy. The Government is being supported by...

TUC LGBT Conference: Debating partnership rights

By Karina Knight Over 200 delegates attended the TUC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference at Congress House on 24th-25th July, the biggest so far in the short history of the section. Policy discussed included LGBT asylum seekers, pension rights, partnership rights, employment rights and supporting LGBT students in schools. Motions submitted, whilst all worthy of support, were fairly bland. Speaker after speaker spoke to the motions with leftists and liberals able to support them from a completely different political standpoint. Bizarrely, the only debate to cause any dissent...

Tubeworker 26 November 2003: Equality Now!

This month, Tubeworker assesses London Underground's policy for dealing with harassment at work, and looks at the commitment to equality from both the employer and the unions. We also argue for more action over the safety crisis: a 'go-slow' is not enough, and should be added to by more imaginative action, followed by strikes. Workplace reports include updates on two sacked train drivers, plus more examples of the chaos created by privatisation. You can download it as a PDF here .

Tubeworker 24 September 2003

Stop the Witch-hunt against Asylum-Seekers As Blair's Government steps up its persecution of people seeking sanctuary, Tubeworker puts a firm argument against prejudice and for workers' unity. Workplace stories include a cleaner suspended for refusing to work on safety grounds, and the farcical new banking system. Download pdf .

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