UNISON SCOTTISH WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
- 2010
Saturday 9 October 11am – 5pm
UNISON Glasgow City Branch Office, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow.
Branches are invited to submit motions by Friday 17 September.
If you have an idea for a motion, please contact your Branch.
The closing date for delegate registration is Friday 24 September
(through your Branch) Click here
for more details >>
Women’s Conversations at the STUC
19 August, 9 September and 7 October Click here for details.....
Equality begins at 40? - What next for Equal Pay?
Saturday 21 August, 11.00am -12.00noon Committee Room 1, The
Scottish Parliament
Over the last five years, the success of the Festival of Politics
has proven that whilst politics may be changing, people remain
keen to engage with it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission
are pleased to taking part in this year's festival, with an
event in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay
Act. Delivered in partnership with Close the Gap, the event
will be chaired by Kaliani Lyle, our Scotland Commissioner and
speakers will include Muriel Robison and Peter Hunter, Regional
Organiser Equal Pay, UNISON Scotland.
Tickets are FREE and can be booked: online, by phone, in person
from Hub Tickets, or in person only from the Scottish Parliament
for further details visit www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk
Glasgow to close 'Breakthrough for Women'
31/7/10: Glasgow City Council intend to close Breakthrough
for Women which provides advice, support and counselling to
women who have experienced sexual violence. The threat to the
service comes as part of the Council’s budget cuts. The service
is run by Social Work Services and assists hundreds of women
each year from all parts of the city. The service is currently
run by seven staff.
Brian Smith, UNISON Branch Secretary said: “After meeting with
council officers on 29 July, UNISON is of the view that the
Council intend to close Breakthrough for Women. We would ask
that this important service to women who have experienced sexual
violence is retained. The demand for the service remains and
is valued by the women who use it, other frontline social work
staff and other agencies. We hope that the Council demonstrates
its commitment to this group of vulnerable women by continuing
to offer the current services”
Families
to bail out banks
20/07/10 "The government has decided that women, families and
children will bear the brunt of cutting the deficit," Ruth Lister,
head of social policy at LoughboroughUniversity told a TUC forum
last week. Although the government claims that the emergency
budget is fair, the combined effect of changes to benefits and
service cuts is hitting the poorest hardest, especially low
paid women workers and their families.
Million
Voices Campaign - speaking up for women’s equality
Women are being hit especially hard by the financial and economic
crisis. Achieving equality for women is an intrinsic part of
strengthening our public services and building a fairer society
New
guidance on breastfeeding at work
UNISON is working with Maternity Action, who campaign to
end inequality and promote the health and well-being of all
pregnant women, their partners and children from before conception
through to the child's early years.
Corporate
Sexism: The sex industry's infiltration of the modern workplace
UNISON national women's conference policy is to campaign
against the proliferation of lap dancing clubs and the exploitation
and harassment of women. A new report from the Fawcett Society,
"Corporate Sexism : The sex industry's infiltration of the modern
workplace", to which UNISON has contributed, finds that the
use of lap dancing clubs and display of pornography in a work
context is a major new threat to women's equality at work.
No
time like the present - women and pensions
(21/07/09)With the credit crunch biting, soaring bills and
conflicting demands on family incomes, it is tempting to avoid
the unpleasant truth
The
breastfeeding debate
(21/07/09) Media interest in breastfeeding has recently
been stirred again by the publication of a report into mother's
experience of bottle feeding, and concerns about the perceived
pressure to breastfeed.
New
campaign launched to tackle ‘women-blaming’ attitudes to rape
Rape Crisis Scotland has launched a hard hitting campaign
tackling the myths around rape. The central purpose of This
Is Not An Invitation To Rape Me is to challenge women-blaming
attitudes to rape by stimulating public debate.
UNISON
supports Fawcett's Sexism in the City campaign.
The City of London is one of the most economically prosperous
areas in the world. But behind the conspicuous wealth of the
City lies a hidden story of disadvantage and discrimination
affecting women at all levels of business, perpetuating poverty,
discrimination, and absence from the corridors of power.
To make sure all our members have a voice in the union, UNISON
members have set up 'self-organised groups' to provide a voice
for people who are traditionally under represented. UNISON has
groups at national, regional and local level for women, lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender members, black members and disabled
members. These groups are designed to be self-organising but also
integral to the union's structures.
|
Scotland's
public service union
Women
form the majority of UNISON members in Scotland. UNISON structures
like 'proportionality' attempt to make sure that the women
are represented at all levels in the union, at least at a level
that reflects their proportion of the membership. If the membership
is 65% women, then the leadership should be at least 65%
women. 
