'Turning the tide'

Unite delegate Jane Stewart spoke in support of a motion and general council statement on sexual harassment in the workplace on Tuesday (September 10) at TUC Congress.

Jane expressed frustration that she has spent many years speaking on the exact same topic, and little has changed for women who still regularly face sexual harassment in the workplace.

“I am sure I am not the only woman delegate who finds it difficult to think of new words and say different things to express the scale of sexual harassment, abuse and violence in our society and workplaces that women experience,” she said, adding, “There is always latest research, a latest poll to quote.”

Jane cited statistics from a TUC study last year which found that over half of all women — and nearly two thirds of younger women – had experienced sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.

“The social and economic structures that perpetuate this culture are not separate from our workplaces,” Jane asserted.

She highlighted that the situation has become so dire that the police, what she called “not an organisation that has historically been an ally on this question” declared that the violence against women and girls in our society is “such an epidemic that it is a national emergency”.

Jane welcomed the “concrete, serious steps” outlined in the motion and in the General Council Statement that she said “should be supported as part of turning the tide, and to begin to make all workplaces harassment free”.

“That the percentage of younger women experiencing sexual harassment was higher than for all others; that we know insecure work and other factors that breed higher risks of sexual harassment and abuse are rising demonstrates the urgency,” she went on to say.

Calling on Congress to not only pass the motion but to ensure action is taken, Jane said that focused work must be driven forward –  “industrially and politically, in our workplaces and to ensure that the government and the bodies that are supposed to protect us at work do so”.

Concluding, Jane asked  the union movement to “put this as the central industrial priority that it clearly is – an industrial question that directly affects millions of workers”.

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas

You can watch TUC Congress live here. You can follow UniteLive’s coverage of Congress here.