NO TO SEXISM IN THE WORKPLACE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2022 :: RMTnews 11 R MT women members met for their annual conference in Swansea, urging male colleagues in the transport and maritime sectors to do more to tackle misogyny and discrimination. Delegates spoke of their negative experiences in the workplace and wider society, saying that sexism was still commonplace despite equalities legislation and small changes in culture. Chair Mandy Evans even suggested that a nearby labour club didn’t allow women to enter the premises - a claim that shocked conference. Conference delegates also discussed the most pressing industrial issues involving women members across the union, including Network Rail and the Churchill cleaners’ dispute. Thandi Mabodoko, who works for Network Rail, looked ahead to the impending battle with the track operator, suggesting that if planned maintenance cuts of 2,000 job losses went through, the safety of the railways would be put in jeopardy. “The trains will come off the tracks and we are sitting on a timebomb. “They want to de-skill and reduce our pay. And they [the bosses] want to run the railway like it is a marketing company,” she said. Bella Fashola - a leading RMT rep and campaigner for Churchill cleaners - told conference she was languishing on £8.91 an hour at the behest of the multi- million-pound contractor but would not give up. Looking ahead to future strike action, she said: “We have to stand together and fight the bosses.” Conference also discussed the need to tackle domestic violence and to counter the negative affects suffered by women who survive such ordeals. Cllr Erica Kirchner told delegates of the experiences she had had helping women who had survived domestic abuse. “Working with Women’s Aid over the last few decades, we now have several hubs run by women all trained, to deal with domestic abuse. We can respond quicker and all the major departments such as NHS and police have a place in those hubs,” she said. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the battles for women’s equality had achieved success in a number of areas but acknowledged more needed to be done. “This union is still dominated by men and most branch meetings and most company councils are dominated by men. “We need to rebalance. I am not going to tell you how to do that but I am keen for people to find their way in the union not just to be present in the room but take the levers of power. “We have had some breakthroughs. We have had a woman president for the first time and we have our first woman regional organiser Kathy Mazur,” he said. Reflecting on his early working life, Mr Lynch said that his first job in a factory in 1978 was an eye opener in terms of racism and sexism. “It was a totally male dominated environment. the only women we had there were in the canteen or doing the wages. The amount of filth you saw - racist language, racist propaganda, racist graffiti - there was a tolerance by men of frankly disgusting behaviour. “Pornography was rampant and you were expected to participate in sharing it. It was a terribly embarrassing period,2 he said. Explaining how his own views had been challenged and influenced by the growth of the anti-racist and women’s movement, Mr Lynch said that men have changed to some extent. “Even if men stay silent, they are at least not to same extent, mouthing the stuff they used to mouth. But what we need to do is complete the process and keep moving forward. “So, it is not just acceptance that women are in the union but that women lead and are taking their full role,” he said. Mr Lynch also spelled out a vision for RMT which will involve change and keeping the union “nimble” as it faced new challenges. “We are faced with the most enormous challenges since privatisation. They intend to on Network Rail, to change the maintenance roles and cut it by half. They will do 50 per cent less work on track and that is a danger for our members, whether you are catering, train crew or train driver. And let’s remember at Hatfield and Stonehaven, train crew - our people have died in those accidents. “They call it risk based maintenance and it will strip out hundreds of jobs,” he said. Promising the biggest industrial response in the union’s modern history, Mr Lynch added: “RMT has to be a beacon of hope - that if you organise through proper industrial organisation, proper networks of reps and activists, with the support of head office, you can win these battles”. NO TO SEXISM IN THE WORKPLACE