TUC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 2010

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: april 2010 :: RMTnews 23 Over the two days of conference 43 resolutions were passed on everything from the women, anti-BNP campaigns, equal pay issues, women’s safety, violence against women, International issues such as our own resolution which was “sexual violence against women as a weapon of war”. The TUC women’s conference is made up of almost 200 delegates form a wide variety of trade unions, with the aim of debating all the resolutions submitted and then voting on one only to go forward to congress. This year the one going forward is from “Unite the Union ” headed “A workplace agenda for women”. RMT delegate Mandy Evans from South Wales was nominated by RMT as a committee member on the women’s TUC for 2011. Unfortunately, her nomination was not successful. This is the third year in a row we have failed to get a seat on the committee. We were given the opportunity to ask questions to guest speakers and I asked Harriet Harman MP the following:- “What is your policy on the Driver only operation on the Bathgate line in Scotland, to protect the roll of the guard and the safety of the travelling public? Where do you stand on the proposed 1500 job cuts within network rail maintenance and the effect that will have on safety and finally where do you stand on the issues concerning the operational staff, the removal of detonators to protect men and women working on the line, or do you intend to sit back and do nothing until we have another Grayriggs, Hatfield or Potters Bar which would affect every woman at this conference directly or in indirectly?” Needless to say I got a very well worded reply about the proposed high speed link between London and Edinburgh. referring to recent demonstrations there. Bob explained that in the forthcoming general election the union will be supporting MP’s who form the union’s parliamentary group. Beyond that the union was also receiving requests to support other candidates. Bob explained RMT’s election strategy and said that each request for the union’s support would be looked at on an individual basis to see if the policies and track record of the prospective candidate complemented that of the union. Carolyn Jones, director of the labour movement think tank, the Institute of Employment Rights (IER), spoke about the background to her organisation and how RMT has been associated with the IER since it was inaugurated in 1989. Carolyn said that there was a need to change the climate from the current emphasis on individual employment rights, which tend to be rights on paper. “Rights need to be enforced collectively,” she said. The IER is playing a key role in promoting a Trade Union Rights and Freedom Bill, Carolyn told the conference. “It is a bill that will protect striker, simplify balloting procedures, restrict use of injunctions by employers, allow solidarity action and prevent agency workers replacing strikers,” she said. Carolyn also called on conference delegates to sign up to the People’s Charter for Change. The Charter is a response to the current economic crisis and calls for a new model for the finance industry, an end to privatisation, and for previously publicly owned companies to be taken back into public ownership. It also calls for a massive building programme of new affordable social housing and sets out a radical agenda to end the waste of lives and billions of pounds of taxpayers' money on wars and weapons. Finally, it recognises that there will be no economic justice without social justice, with a demand for fairness and equality for all our citizens – equal pay for women and an end to racist scapegoating, an end to City super-bonuses and the payment of proper pensions. The charter calls for free childcare for all, better youth facilities and free education at all levels. Two lively workshops were held on women’s health and safety and young women members. Next year’s conference will be held in Cheltenham Spa. TUC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 2010 RMT Women’s TUC delegate Ann Joss reports on this year’s conference in Eastbourne TUC delegates Mandy Evans and Ann Ross