The 2009 TUC Women’s Conference was held in the Spa Complex, South Bay, Scarborough YO11 2HD from Wednesday 11 March to Friday 13 March 2009.
Community Union sent a large delegation of active members to discuss a range of issues which impact upon women in the workplace and in the wider society.
The Community Union delegation which comprised of:
The keynote issue of the conference was how the recession was impacting women in the workforce. However, the conference tackled a range of issues from equal pay to family friendly policies, women workers in third world countries to healthcare reform and child trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The list of motions follows:
1 The Equality Bill and procurement
2 Equal pay
3 Extending the Equality Duty to the private sector
4 Achieving equal pay in the workplace - now and in the future
5 Time for equal pay
6 Lack of progression on equal pay
7 Equality Select Committee
8 Women and the economy
9 Employment in the banking sector
10 Women and the global recession
11 Women and the economic crisis
12 Housing
13 Women’s pensions
14 First-time families
15 The right to care
16 Returning to work from maternity leave
17 Family-friendly work rights for freelance women
18 Putting family-friendly policies at the heart of the bargaining agenda
19 Expansion of flexible working rights
20 Part-time working and job sharing
21 Employment status
22 Shift patterns
23 Working Time Directive opt-out
24 Flexible working
25 Gender aspects of the financial crisis
26 Working women internationally
27 Maternal death rate in developing countries
28 Mayan child labour in Guatemala
29 Extreme violence on Iraqi women
30 Women’s political representation
31 The representation of women in politics
32 Campaigning against the far right
33 Gender-sensitive safety and health
34 Gender-sensitive health, safety and welfare (HS&W)
35 Positive action for well-being
36 NHS Constitution
37 Ovarian cancer
38 Prison a dumping ground for mentally ill women
39 Decriminalisation of prostitution
The commodification of sex
41 Child trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children
42 Using the school curriculum to prevent violence against women
43 Programming before the watershed
44 Enforcement of family court contact orders
45 Gender mainstreaming in the design of public space
The 2008 TUC Women's Conference was held in the Floral Hall, Winter Garden, Eastbourne between 12 and 14 March. Delegates debated motions on a range of issues of importance to women in the UK and across the world.
The conference was addressed by a number of prominent women including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Women, Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman QC MP, and a speaker from Iraq.
The Community delegation participated in the debates and helped to shape the platform of the conference.
Issues that the confrerence addressed included:
- A womans right to choose - extending the time limit on abortion
- Womens international rally (we all had to wear magenta, green, white)
- Remploy factories*
- Reclaim the night (feeling safe on the streets at night)
- International issues (Columbia)*
- Pensions*
- Domestic Violence*
- Women with disabilities*
*These are topics where Community delegates addressed the Conference.
The TUC women's conference is the culmination of the activities of the TUC and affliated union's activities on Women's issues. Throughout the year, women unionists are active in their workplaces, their unions and their communities lobbying for equality and women's rights.
For more information contact a Community Women’s contact officer or visit the TUC website.
The TUC also has a range of publications for people interested in Women's issues or the plight of female unionists across the world.