EC Meeting March 2017

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(3) The questionnaire procedure has played a key role in enabling union members to evaluate whether they should bring a claim of discrimination, and has ensured employers disclose important information relating to company procedures and policies. (4) Conference welcomes the development of Union equality reps. Conference believes that Union equality reps need a framework of support to ensure that they are supported in the work that they do. We should work hard to develop regional and national networks of Union Equality Reps. (5) Conference believes that we must work hard to achieve statutory recognition for Union Equality Representatives. We must continue to press the case with the current Government as well as ensure statutory recognition is a priority commitment for the next Labour government. (6) Conference calls on the GFTU to campaign for employment rights from day one, continue to oppose the use of Zero hour contract by employers, abolition of fees for employment tribunals and for collective rights to organise and negotiate through a trade union for better pay, terms and conditions and lobby the next Labour Government to make them unlawful. (7) Conference resolves to work with afffiliates to develop a charter for equal rights, employment rights and collective bargaining in order to rebuild our machinery for equality.

Implementation

This policy was in fact taken up by a number of organisations and media outlets over the two year period and many University and some prestigious organisations such as the Royal Society of Engineers took the matter forward.

Resolution 23

Women in Manufacturing, Engineering & Science

(1) Conference is deeply concerned at the ongoing occupational and job segregation existing in manufacturing. Women make up just under a quarter of the UK manufacturing workforce, as compared with nearly half of the total UK workforce. (2) Although women play a key role in UK manufacturing sectors such as the food, drink and clothing sectors, the segregation is stark in science, engineering and technology (SET) with just one in twenty working women and one in three men, employed in any SET occupation. Among younger workers, women account for just 3 per cent of apprenticeships in engineering but dominate in low paid sectors. (3) Many women face problems with up-skilling, remain in lower grades and too few are employed in the management and research functions or are SET students and graduates resulting in loss of valuable skills.

(4) Conference supports initiatives such as those to get more young women to consider a career in engineering and the science sectors.

(5) There is a lack of information on issues facing women in manufacturing, including working patterns and health concerns as recent research has warned and PPE is often inappropriate and inadequate for women working inmanufacturing.

(6) Conference therefore calls on the GFTU Executive and Affiliates to:

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share best practice between unions and support shop stewards and union reps in tackling women’s under-representation and ending job segregation within manufacturing; support initiatives to get more women into engineering and science apprenticeships; urge the government to fund decent and well paid apprenticeships leading to permanent employment, including positive action for young women; work with unions to identify issues that concern women in manufacturing; support affiliates in urging their governments for real investment in this industry, to promote manufacturing apprenticeships among women and lift barriers facing women; insist that manufacturing companies ensure that procured components are not produced in sweatshop conditions or where there is abuse of migrant women or men workers.

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