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The President of UNI APRO Women’s Committee, Maxine Gay, speaking at the opening of the 4th UNI APRO Regional Women’s Congress paid special tribute to our Nepalese brothers and sisters who suffered so much in the recent earthquake. Today’s meeting in Kuala Lumpur was originally planned to be in Kathmandu, hence the theme “Scaling New Heights”, referencing Mount Everest.

Sister Maxine Gay said, “I know I speak for all of us to give our solidarity and best wishes to our Nepali sisters and brothers as they rebuild their country following the devastating earthquakes.  Those of us from New Zealand and Japan who suffered earthquakes four years ago know how difficult such rebuilding is and this must be compounded by the fact of Nepal already being one of the poorest countries in the world.  Our thoughts and solidarity remain with you.”

Gay remarked on the relevance of the climate change talks, ongoing at COP21 in Paris, to Asia Pacific.

“Asia Pacific is a huge part of the world.  It includes two of the largest countries of the world India and China, through to tiny Pacific Island states threatened with extinction due to rising sea levels due to climate change.”

Gay then touched on how women often suffered worst of all because of inequality.

“We know women are the poorest of the poor and often it is they who miss a meal while labouring under a double burden, to make sure that their children are fed.  At the same time Asia boasts more billionaires than ever before and numbers are predicted to pass the number of billionaires in Europe within 10 years.

“Before coming to Kuala Lumpur for this conference I visited Sri Lanka and met with the FTZ-Workers Union who are fulfilling the seemingly impossible dream and organising in the Free Trade Zones. All workers in the Free Trade Zones are exploited – none more so than women workers who bear the brunt of poverty and oppression.”

There was still reason to be optimistic, according to Gay.

“Even from within the oppression there is resistance and there remains hope.  Women are standing up for themselves and their families.  They are organising and scaling new heights.  From within some of the most appalling working and living conditions in the world they have the courage and temerity to direct their union to challenge the government’s proposed changes to the labour laws which would see them working horrendous hours with no payment for overtime.”

Denise McGuire, President of the UNI Global Women’s Committee, in her speech underlined the commitment to 40 to 40 – a minimum of forty percent women and forty percent men on every UNI decision making body.

“We want women to take their seats at the table because, when women are at the table, then our demands are at the negotiating table.”

McGuire then urged participants to back the campaign against domestic violence which has strong links with the workplace.

She said, “Domestic violence is clearly a trade union issue and that means unions have a key role to play in tackling domestic violence. As well as making agreements with employers and directing victims to support services, unions have a leading role to play in the push for an ILO convention on domestic violence, covering that spill over into work.

UNI women are part of a global campaign.  It’s a three stranded approach:

National surveys – to provide evidence
Work with multinationals – so we have employer side support at the ILO
Resources – to unions, to union representatives and to union members

We are pushing for surveys in many countries.  APRO countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines have published results.  We are hopeful that India will run a national survey next year.  Please think about whether your country would be a possibility.

McGuire concluded, “UNI women must be at the heart of this campaign – and we look to you to identify multinationals with whom we can make agreements on domestic violence.  This is incredibly important as it will build weight at the ILO from the employer’s group.

“On resources – we have them ready for you – ideal agreements, policies, processes, guidance for representatives and leaflets for members. Training modules are in the pipeline.

“I look forward to working with you to get an ILO convention on domestic violence and make the world a safer place for billions of workers and their families.”