The Trade Union Movement is taking action on Sexual Harassment
The Trade Union Movement is the largest civil society organisation in the world, founded on campaigning for workers’ rights, fair pay, equal pay, holiday pay, health and safety, the basic rights that keep workers safe and paid well for their labour.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has members across every trade union, civil servants, health, education and community and hospitality, from construction to finance, that are all affiliated to the ICTU and they have a very strong and vocal Women’s Committee. Sexual Harassment has not escaped the Trade Union movement, over the last few years it has been very active in challenging sexism in the workplace. For those who have an outdated view of Trade Unions, that they are dominated by men, dismissive of issues outside of pay and overtime, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Unison, NIPSA, CWU, Unite the Union, and NASUWT all led by women who are not letting this problem slip away, they are raising awareness and bringing solutions.
It has been the work of the Women’s Committee that has put sexual harassment in the workplace at the top of Trade Unions agenda. Sexual harassment has been so normalised in our society to the point where women often brush it off or don’t care to notice when they witness it, as it’s a daily occurrence. However, in the workplace we have laws to protect, policies that outline these poor behaviours that are unacceptable, long gone are the days when posters of naked women were allowed in any tearoom or staff room, but some of these outdated attitudes remain within workforces, where some find it acceptable to be sexist or misogynist and disguise it as humour. The Trade Union movement will not tolerate sexist jokes or banter that degrades and dehumanises women or indeed anyone and they will find no sympathy among their union members for these behaviours.
The recent Bi-annual Delegate Conference had multiple motions on Sexual harassment and sexual violence, calling for policy changes, support for victims and survivors of Domestic Violence and very strong support for the cultural change to shift the blame and shame on the abusers. Motions calling for anti-sexual harassment training to be mandatory and like safeguarding training, carried out annually to drill home there is no place for misogyny in the workplace. There was a demand for a Statutory code of practice for employers to prevent and respond to misogyny, sexual harassment and victimisation within the workplace.
Some workplaces the harassment comes from the public, those in hospitality, retail, tourism, can be more exposed to abuse and the law is clear on protecting workers from abuse, providing they feel safe to report. Whistle blowing on cases of sexual harassment are being supported, while the abuse is often someone of a higher grade, long standing in the company, a respected member of the team, well, let us be clear none of those traits will provide cover for sexual harassment. We are a trade union movement that will not step over this abuse, we are a movement that will not tolerate it, and we will take action.
There is lots of training taking place that outlines clearly what sexual harassment is, the impacts of which can be life changing and how to report and stop the workplace abuse. The trade union movement is playing a vital role in changing the culture of sexual violence and will continue to do so.
By Helen Crickard, chair UNISON NI Women’s Comittee
