Breaking Down the Barriers

The following feature first appeared in the most recent edition of Building Worker – you can read the full issue online here.

Unite rep and construction worker Tracey Whittle was among hundreds of Unite members who took part in the union’s Equalities Conference in late October.

buildingWORKER caught up with Tracey at the conference, who highlighted the various equalities issues facing workers in construction.

“A huge challenge is women’s PPE, especially in sectors like construction which are male dominated,” she said.

The biggest problem with PPE is that it is not made with women’s bodies in mind, Tracey explained.

“Often employers will only offer medium and large sizes, but even if they do offer small sizes, they don’t account for women’s curves or that they may have shorter legs. You can be short and have large boobs – but if you’re a size 8 they expect you to be a stick.”

Standard PPE made with men in mind also doesn’t consider women who are pregnant, or who might be on their periods, and so might need protective equipment with a bit more give, Tracey noted.

Beyond PPE, Tracey said women who are breastfeeding are really struggling in male dominated workplaces like construction.

“At the conference, maternity and breastfeeding came up frequently. By law, employers must provide facilities such as a private space for breastfeeding and a fridge to store milk. But in construction, women are lucky to get any sort of private space at all let alone a fridge and other facilities. Some of the larger sites might meet some of these provisions, but certainly not in most construction workplaces.”

Tracey went on to highlight why equalities must be at the top of the agenda in the construction sector in particular.

“Equalities affects so many people in the sector, but it’s still considered a taboo subject,” Tracey explained. 

“And many equalities issues can be kept hidden – for example, too many workers in construction are afraid to come out about their sexuality.

“I also believe many workers go into construction because they struggle with literacy skills, not realising that they might in fact have a hidden disability such as dyslexia. We need to break down those barriers in construction so that all workers feel welcome and supported.”

If you’re interested in becoming an equalities rep or learning more about Unite’s equalities education courses find out more here or in the latest Unite Extra.

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas