Women's Trade Union Federation - Unions are being reclaimed by Women

[fromorbit]

Women have been at the heart of British Trade Unionism since it began and while there has been mutual support between women and men in the fight to get better working conditions, we cannot forget sexism has undermined the struggle too often.

Women workers won in the Match Women's strike, The Cradley Heath Chain Makers strike, at Dagenham and in countless other battles.

They will win this battle too. Anyone on the left get ready to mobilise in your union and within the Labour party as well. Follow on twitter.

Women's Trade Union Federation
twitter.com/WomensTUF

Welcome to the Women's Trade Union Federation. We are Female Trade Unionists drawn from across the trade union movement who are concerned about the lack of protection from our respective trade unions as a consequence of the politics of gender identity.

Women make up the majority of trade union members and unions should take note of this. It is a scandal that the Equality Act and the Forstater Vs CGD Employment Tribunal ruling have not been acted upon within unions and taken forward more robustly to defend women members.
The WTUF work collectively to support each other against the worst attacks on women and our rights in a lifetime. Some of us are highly experienced activists working alongside those who are new to activism.
Over the coming months we will be challenging unions to defend their own women members single sex spaces, their right to say that sex is immutable and that gender is a tool of oppression.
We should not face bullying and intimidation for stating material reality.
Unions should explore the clear rights conflict between calls for women's rights and trans rights. Women members should be fully consulted, encouraged to present their positions and supported to do so. It is a scandal that unions are absent in this regard.
The WTUF is here to encourage women's participation as activists and supporters within all unions. We will support you to do so. We will help you understand how to change policies and to take positions in your unions. We will provide training on activism and campaigning.
For those of you who are already activists we will work alongside you in Solidarity. There is no need to feel isolated - your Sisters are here.
We are also happy to work with established groups who share our aims.
Help us to help you and others.
We will publish our demands and website soon which contains details of how to join us.

We can and will be your voice where you have none.

Brilliant. Thank you.

The Women's Trade Union Federation (WTUF) has a Twitter account and a website is in the making.

Women make up the majority of trade union members

WTUF is NOT NOT NOT a new "Trade Union for Women" - that would be totally impractical. It would need to provide individual representation AND negotiate recognition for collective bargaining purposes with multiple employers across multiple sectors/industries. All the big unions that do this have been created as a result of many mergers of smaller, specialist unions over several decades.

(I was a member of a small union, almost 100% women, that covered just one profession in health, social services and education. It merged with a bigger union in the 1970's because it proved impossible to fulfil its obligations to members.)

WTUF brings together GC women who are Trade Union members across the UK. Most have never been Trade Union activists before but they are learning fast.

There is a separate group for each union and a central WTUF group that has started providing training for members who are willing and able to start organising within their unions and workplaces.

There have already been successful challenges to employers who have introduced, or are trying to introduce, anti-women policies and "Stonewall Law". The majority of members, male and female, do not want these policies, recognising them as unfair and detrimental to women. They are supportive when someone challenges their introduction.

Women who have never been actively involved in their Trade Unions are putting themselves forward as Workplace Representatives/Shop Stewards and as Branch Women's Officers, Equalities Officers and are working towards election as Branch Officials (Chair, Secretary Treasurer).

Many unions have Women's Conferences and Committees. For some, you need to be elected by your Branch to attend, others you can just apply to attend as an "Ordinary Member".

Most unions are affiliated to the Labour Party. Union Branches may be affiliated to local Constituency Labour Party (CLP) Branches. They are often looking for Branch Representatives to attend CLPs, no questions asked if a willing volunteer comes forward.

This is how activists who push anti-women policies in the workplace, in the unions and, via the unions, in the Labour Party took over an already systemically misogynistic Labour Movement.

It is time for women to take back our Unions and the Labour Movement!

If you can attend a meeting and vote for the GC woman who wants to represent your interests, do it

If you can support her in any way, do it

If you feel so fired up that you are willing to put yourself forward as a Workplace Rep or for a Branch position, do it

We can do this! Women are tough! WTUF

If you are on Twitter:

Follow twitter.com/WomensTUF

To join WTUF, Follow and DM twitter.com/Fiona44444/

(Fiona44444 - Fiona then five x 4)

If you are not on Twitter:
send me a Private Message on Mumsnet and I will put you in touch.

========

I was originally going to post this as an update on this old thread then I did a search and found there was a WTUF thread ❤️

"What union can I join that isn’t totally beholden to Stonewall or similar?"

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4398114-What-union-can-I-join-that-isn-t-totally-beholden-to-Stonewall-or-similar?

Thank you! We will not be silenced!

This is brilliant to see, well done and may the force be with you!