Louise Nousratpour
Sunday February 21, 2010
The Morning Star
Unison women's conference 2010: Delegates at the Unison women's conference voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to support the decriminalisation of prostitutes and criminalisation of the buyers of sex.
They backed the so-called Nordic model which also includes practical and financial support to give prostitutes the confidence and job skills needed to escape the industry.
The approach has been successfully adopted by Sweden, Norway and Iceland - countries that top the global charts in terms of gender equality.
Conference welcomed government legislation to criminalise certain aspects of the purchasing of sex contained in the Policing and Crime Bill, labelling it an important step towards tackling sex trafficking and prostitution.
The law is due to take effect on April 1.
But delegates argued that the changes did not go far enough.
They stressed the need for tighter legislation before the 2012 London Olympics, highlighting other countries' experiences of spiralling sex trafficking and prostitution during major sports events.
National women's committee speaker Cath Elliot rejected arguments that decriminalising the whole industry and treating prostitution as "any other job" would protect women from violence.
At a fringe meeting on Thursday, speakers highlighted international research showing that prostitutes, by enduring a high level of daily sexual activity, sustained long-term physical and psychological injuries similar to victims of torture.
Suffolk police delegate Sally Swift said that the local force had started targeting buyers more rigorously since the murder of five prostitutes in Ipswich in late 2006.
"They now have a much more sympathetic and protective attitude towards prostitutes in the area," she said, reporting that the shift had been successful in deterring curb crawlers.
South East region delegate Ginny Eaton, who read out upsetting testimonies of former teenage prostitutes, argued: "If we criminalise pimps and punters, we can minimise demand which will lead to supply drying up."
Delegates called on Unison to support the Demand Change! campaign by urging its parliamentary group of MPs to actively lobby for the Nordic model.
Conference also voted to take the Demand Change! motion to Unison's national conference in Bournemouth this summer.
"It's time for our male members to take a stand on this issue," Ms Elliot said.
Delegates share their stories of violence
Louise Nousratpour
Sunday February21, 2010
The Morning Star
Unison women's conference 2010: Delegates lined up on the final day of the conference to share their own heart-rending experiences of domestic violence.
They also revealed the major difficulties they had faced when seeking to escape their ordeal - and demanded more resources to help women suffering the same fate.
Croydon branch delegate Etna Holdsworth, whose daughter had been subjected to threats from a former partner, said: "We have had great difficulties in getting help from the police. The force still has a long way to go."
Portsmouth delegate Fran Fox called for proper investment in safe houses and training provisions for police and social workers to recognise signs of domestic violence and offer effective support for victims.
She added: "In my workplace employers pay for training and I urge you to campaign to get their workplace to do the same."
Surrey women's officer Jan Lynch pointed to research showing that women suffer physical and sexual abuse at least 35 times before they pick up the courage to report it, often due to the stigma surrounding the abuse.
On average two women are killed every week in England and Wales by their current or former partner - accounting for 65 per cent of all female murders in 2006-7, conference heard.
National women's committee speaker Margaret McKay called for domestic abuse policy to be enforced in "every workplace."
She added: "We need more women social workers who are properly trained to sign post victims to the right authorities."
Sunday February21, 2010
The Morning Star
Unison women's conference 2010: Delegates lined up on the final day of the conference to share their own heart-rending experiences of domestic violence.
They also revealed the major difficulties they had faced when seeking to escape their ordeal - and demanded more resources to help women suffering the same fate.
Croydon branch delegate Etna Holdsworth, whose daughter had been subjected to threats from a former partner, said: "We have had great difficulties in getting help from the police. The force still has a long way to go."
Portsmouth delegate Fran Fox called for proper investment in safe houses and training provisions for police and social workers to recognise signs of domestic violence and offer effective support for victims.
She added: "In my workplace employers pay for training and I urge you to campaign to get their workplace to do the same."
Surrey women's officer Jan Lynch pointed to research showing that women suffer physical and sexual abuse at least 35 times before they pick up the courage to report it, often due to the stigma surrounding the abuse.
On average two women are killed every week in England and Wales by their current or former partner - accounting for 65 per cent of all female murders in 2006-7, conference heard.
National women's committee speaker Margaret McKay called for domestic abuse policy to be enforced in "every workplace."
She added: "We need more women social workers who are properly trained to sign post victims to the right authorities."
Unions warn Equality Bill is under threat
Louise Nousratpour
Equalities Reporter
Sunday February 7, 2010
The Morning Star
Equality campaigners have called for vigilance against attempts by businesses and Tory opposition to block the Single Equality Bill from going through Parliament before the looming general election.
Addressing a special Sertuc conference in London on Saturday, TUC senior policy officer Linda Stewart warned that, if the Bill did not receive royal assent in the next few months, "it will simply fall through."
She gave an overview of the legislation and highlighted some of its strengths and weaknesses.
"The Bill harmonises and simplifies discrimination law into one Act. It strengthens disability laws and places a duty on some public bodies to take account of socio-economic inequalities," Ms Stewart explained.
But she expressed disappointment at government failure to include clauses that would extend mandatory pay audits to the private sector and award statutory rights to union equality reps.
Unions have also put forward amendments to allow them to take representative action on behalf of members.
"Government equality officers are due to report further on that issue," Ms Stewart told the conference at TUC Congress House.
"Unison has had to lodge some 80,000 individual cases, but we were hoping that unions would be able to make claims on behalf of classes of workers, which would be much easier and cost effective."
Baroness Joyce Gould of the Women's National Commission, which has been involved in the consultation process, said: "We have had some small but significant victories in improving aspects of the Bill, but more needs to be done."
She was particularly concerned that the clause on harassment in schools would leave pupils vulnerable to discrimination on grounds of gender assignment, sexual orientation and religious belief.
"We challenged this and much of the explanations we got was around what churches would and would not accept, which is very worrying," Baroness Gould said.
She added: "Too much of the Bill is being opposed by business groups like the CBI and the Chamber of Commerce. The Tory opposition is working actively with these organisations to block progress.
"It will be a major tragedy if we lose the fight to ensure the Bill becomes law before the election. But we will not give up."
The Bill is currently before Parliament and open to amendments.
Equalities Reporter
Sunday February 7, 2010
The Morning Star
Equality campaigners have called for vigilance against attempts by businesses and Tory opposition to block the Single Equality Bill from going through Parliament before the looming general election.
Addressing a special Sertuc conference in London on Saturday, TUC senior policy officer Linda Stewart warned that, if the Bill did not receive royal assent in the next few months, "it will simply fall through."
She gave an overview of the legislation and highlighted some of its strengths and weaknesses.
"The Bill harmonises and simplifies discrimination law into one Act. It strengthens disability laws and places a duty on some public bodies to take account of socio-economic inequalities," Ms Stewart explained.
But she expressed disappointment at government failure to include clauses that would extend mandatory pay audits to the private sector and award statutory rights to union equality reps.
Unions have also put forward amendments to allow them to take representative action on behalf of members.
"Government equality officers are due to report further on that issue," Ms Stewart told the conference at TUC Congress House.
"Unison has had to lodge some 80,000 individual cases, but we were hoping that unions would be able to make claims on behalf of classes of workers, which would be much easier and cost effective."
Baroness Joyce Gould of the Women's National Commission, which has been involved in the consultation process, said: "We have had some small but significant victories in improving aspects of the Bill, but more needs to be done."
She was particularly concerned that the clause on harassment in schools would leave pupils vulnerable to discrimination on grounds of gender assignment, sexual orientation and religious belief.
"We challenged this and much of the explanations we got was around what churches would and would not accept, which is very worrying," Baroness Gould said.
She added: "Too much of the Bill is being opposed by business groups like the CBI and the Chamber of Commerce. The Tory opposition is working actively with these organisations to block progress.
"It will be a major tragedy if we lose the fight to ensure the Bill becomes law before the election. But we will not give up."
The Bill is currently before Parliament and open to amendments.
'Collective bargaining is our best weapon'
Louise Nousratpour
Equalities Reporter
Sunday February 7, 2010
The Morning Star
Unite assistant leader Gail Cartmail said on Saturday that persistent breaches of equality laws by employers had made unions' collective bargaining power an indispensable tool in protecting workers' rights.
She was addressing an event in London organised by Sertuc to discuss issues around the Single Equality Bill, which is currently before Parliament. The landmark legislation is at risk of being lost if it is not passed into law before the general election.
Ms Cartmail expressed her full support for the Bill, but argued that relying on legal minimum entitlements alone would do little to protect people's rights at work.
Drawing attention to the yawning gender pay gap and widespread racial discrimination in the workplace, she said: "Employers continue to evade their legal obligations" decades after the introduction of the Equal Pay Act and the Race Relations Act.
"I'm also worried about the impact the proposed cuts in public services will have on the whole equality agenda. Some of the bodies earmarked for cuts are responsible for enforcing these laws."
This, she argued, was why "we must look beyond the legal minimum and rely more on what I call the union advantage. In many unionised workplaces, we have negotiated above and beyond those legal minimums."
Ms Cartmail highlighted new TUC guidelines on family-friendly policies released last week and urged unions to "activate" the recommendations by incorporating them in future negotiation agreements.
She told a room full of equality reps at TUC Congress House: "It is people like yourselves, taking up roles as workers' representatives, who can move the equality agenda forward and realise its full potential."
Equalities Reporter
Sunday February 7, 2010
The Morning Star
Unite assistant leader Gail Cartmail said on Saturday that persistent breaches of equality laws by employers had made unions' collective bargaining power an indispensable tool in protecting workers' rights.
She was addressing an event in London organised by Sertuc to discuss issues around the Single Equality Bill, which is currently before Parliament. The landmark legislation is at risk of being lost if it is not passed into law before the general election.
Ms Cartmail expressed her full support for the Bill, but argued that relying on legal minimum entitlements alone would do little to protect people's rights at work.
Drawing attention to the yawning gender pay gap and widespread racial discrimination in the workplace, she said: "Employers continue to evade their legal obligations" decades after the introduction of the Equal Pay Act and the Race Relations Act.
"I'm also worried about the impact the proposed cuts in public services will have on the whole equality agenda. Some of the bodies earmarked for cuts are responsible for enforcing these laws."
This, she argued, was why "we must look beyond the legal minimum and rely more on what I call the union advantage. In many unionised workplaces, we have negotiated above and beyond those legal minimums."
Ms Cartmail highlighted new TUC guidelines on family-friendly policies released last week and urged unions to "activate" the recommendations by incorporating them in future negotiation agreements.
She told a room full of equality reps at TUC Congress House: "It is people like yourselves, taking up roles as workers' representatives, who can move the equality agenda forward and realise its full potential."
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