News

Female trade unionists from 11 European countries worked for more equality



From 22 to 24 June the first UNI Europa Post & Logistics women's seminar took place in cooperation with ETUI the European training and research institute of the ETUC. Participants from Unions of 11 European countries in several workshops held over 3 days developed ideas on how to strengthen the position of women in Trade Unions and in postal companies.



The liberalisation and restructuring processes in the European postal market has lead to changes in employment, more flexibility and higher work pressure. This affects female workers in special ways with less acceptable working hours and bad working conditions. The life-work balance is getting more complicated for these workers. Further women are often confronted with problems special to them, such as parcels that are too heavy, not appropriate work facilities or shifts at dangerous hours.



In the workshops, the participants defined common problems and good practices in their Unions and developed strategies and campaigns to improve the situation of women in postal Trade Unions and postal companies. Denise McGuire, women's president of UNI Global Union and an official in the UK Trade Union "Connect" reported on the UK experience with Mainstreaming Gender Equality within the Connect trade union.



The aims of the seminar were to encourage women to get active in the UNI structures, to raise the gender balance in the UNI Europa Post & Logistics committees and working groups and to develop coordination and communication structures amongst the female Union representatives in Europe.



All information and related documents can be found under: http://fc.runo.se/~jean-claude.le.douaron/uni_e_gender10/seminar.html