International Women’s Day saw the opening of this year’s women’s TUC conference. Kerry McCrone, women’s rep for West Area, Scotland, reports.
FBU delegates Georgie Fielding, Kerry McCrone and Leoni Munslow took to the rostrum to discuss a range of issues affecting FBU members and the wider community at this year’s TUC women’s conference.
A key theme this year was sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying in the workplace. Sister McCrone seconded a Musicians Union motion on the misuse of non-disclosure agreements and calls for promotion of the Can’t Buy My Silence campaign.
Continuing this theme, a fringe event, #MeTU, was attended by the delegation. It discussed issues within trade unions following an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment and bullying in the TSSA transport union.
Sister Fielding highlighted to conference the findings of the London Culture Review and the work required to address the issues members are facing in the fire and rescue service.
Sister Fielding also spoke to support the Royal College of Podiatry’s motion on appropriate sports footwear for women, highlighting the FBU’s work on fire kit specifically for women and the need to continue this work into appropriate footwear as a health and safety priority for women firefighters.
She “looked forward to a time where she would wear fire boots which were no longer just small men’s but with a slimmer calf”.
She also highlighted the need for workplaces to be endometriosis friendly and how debilitating this condition can be for working women across all sectors and workplaces.
Sister Munslow supported Unison’s motion on defending and improving maternity rights and the current work being carried out by London Fire Brigade women FBU reps with the LFB commissioner to improve maternity pay and leave for women firefighters.
The FBU national women’s committee will continue to campaign for all fire and rescue services to improve maternity pay and provisions across the UK.
Improving access to the industrial injuries benefit scheme was also on the agenda with Sister McCrone informing conference of the research commissioned by the FBU into fire contaminants and the shocking findings showing firefighters’ increased risk of cancers, strokes and heart attacks. She spoke to second this motion in the hope that firefighters would have greater access to this benefit following the research stating that no one should be at detriment following a diagnosis of cancer resulting from doing their job.
Conference drew to a close with a show of solidarity to the women and girls of Iraq in an online discussion with women from across the global trade union movement providing information to all conference delegates on practical ways in which the trade union and labour movement can assist them with their fights for equality.
