Pat Clouder, Chair of the Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) welcomed us to the 11th Motion–based CWU Women’s Conference. She spoke about the work the WAC had been involved with the preceding year including; 

·       Equality Laws and how they affect women

·       The Chain-makers festival

·       Supporting Regional Women’s Committees

·       Supporting the Abortion Rights campaign Group

·       Fighting the illegal trafficking of women into the sex industry

·       Breast cancer awareness

National Equality Officer Linda Roy started by saying that we send our thoughts and best wishes to those affected by the credit crunch, especially our own members; people who have lost their jobs due to the incompetence of ‘the masters of the universe’!

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She told us how as women we need to put our names forward, to stand for elections and to increase the number of women holding positions within the CWU structure so it can reflect its membership.

 She told us that despite it being almost 40 years since the first equal pay act came into force, there was still a gender pay gap of around 17% for full time employees and 34% for part time employees. The glass ceiling is still intact; women are still denied higher positions. 

Vice President of the CWU, Jane Loftus told us how during this recession cutbacks are likely to be in equality as priorities go elsewhere. Agency and temp workers are likely to be first out the door, and they are usually women. She spoke about how it seems theses days that they nationalise the debt and privatise the profit. She asked; ‘Do Unions allow ordinary workers to pay for this crisis?” 

There were 23 Motions on the Agenda; 3 industrial issues and 20 non-industrial issues. One Motion was withdrawn. 19 of the 22 remaining motions were carried, mostly unanimously. These dealt with a wide range of issues including; 

·       Correcting the disparity of maternity leave between the business where the CWU has members (between BT, Royal Mail, Post Office Counters for example).

·       To campaign for the right to a gradual build up of hours after returning to work from Maternity/Adoption leave.

·       To support campaigns designed to increase funding for children who are victims of domestic violence.

·       To raise awareness of health issues associated with the menopause.

·       To raise awareness of mental health issues.

·       To campaign for free eye-tests for all members.

·       To continue to support the Chainmakers festival.

·       To campaign to increase welfare benefits to reflect the cost of living.

·       To resist our Employers rolling back our rights using the excuse of the recession and to make sure our members know their rights.

·       To carefully monitor the effect of the recession on women members to make sure they are not disproportionably made redundant in comparison to their male counter-parts.

·       To campaign to educate parents on the risks of the internet to their children.

·       To continue to monitor the gender pay-gap within the businesses where we have members and seek to eradicate the discrimination that leads to it.

·       Negotiate paid release for CWU Women’s Officers.

·       For the final endorsement on future editions of the CWU’s women’s magazine ‘Women’s Talk’ to remain with the Women’s Talk’s editor.

·       To work with the Race Advisory Committee to identify what barriers there are preventing more black and ethnic minority women taking up union positions.

·       To campaign against “Honour killings” in Iraq

The South West Regional Women’s Committee Motion

 The South West Regional Women’s Committee submitted a motion regarding treatment of our Women Members going through the menopause. The Committee felt that the CWU should be at the forefront of defending women’s rights and dignity at work, and with this in mind had submitted a motion about protecting women against unfair attendance procedures triggered by menopause related absences and also to raise awareness with both CWU reps and managers within the various businesses where we have members (such as Royal Mail, BT and the Post Office) of the problems women can face during the menopause so they can be helped in a sensitive manner.

 South West Women’s Regional Secretary, Sandy Best moved the Motion saying that we needed to ‘break the silence’ that surrounds the menopause and put pressure on employers to treat these women fairly and with respect. She told us that we need to change the attitudes of employers and even some of our own reps. We need to lessen the stigma attached to the menopause to make it easier for women to discuss it like any other health condition. 

Gloucestershire Amal’s Equality Officer Katy Hartland seconded the Motion on behalf of The Branch. Addressing Conference, she told us how according to the NHS, 8 out 10 women experience symptoms during the menopause, and 45% of those will find their symptoms difficult to deal with, but many of us know little about the effects of the menopause, thanks in part, to the stoic efforts of our mothers and grandmothers who often ‘suffered in silence’.

Janette Taylor spoke to conference on behalf of Gloucestershire Amal on a Motion about correcting the disparity of maternity leave between the business where the CWU has members and asked that adoptive parents not be forgotten when negotiating maternity and paternity leave as adoption can be a very time consuming and emotionally turbulent time as well. 

At the end of the Conference, every Branch voted for the two Motions which they felt were the most important to be put to General Conference in June. 

We were extremely pleased to find out that one of the two Motions voted for was our own Motion on the menopause, along with a Motion calling for paid release for Women’s Officers.

Guest Speaker Valerie Shawcross of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark London Constituency, told Conference it was like ‘nailing a jellyfish to a wall’ trying to get any sense out of London Major Boris Johnson. He had cut funding for domestic violence victims by 2/3rds as one of the first things he did at City Hall.

She told us how her first feminist thought as a young girl listening to stories about the death and carnage of the Second World War was that ‘politics is too important to be left to the boys!’ 

She concluded by telling us just as our mothers wanted something better for us, we should leave a legacy of expectation for the next generation. She told us not to be shy to seek power, and not to be embarrassed to use it. 

There was an excellent turn-out for this years Conference; 80 Branches were represented at conference by 128 delegates.

 Linda Roy closed the Conference, telling us to encourage our women members to get involved.

 The South West Regional Women’s Committee would like to express their thanks to Paul Trehearne for his invaluable advice and assistance in wording our Motion. 

Katy Hartland