Sep-Oct 2008

Women@Work: International Campaigns

ITF Women Brainstorm in Berlin

ITF Women�s Committee Berlin 20 & 21st October 2003

The ITF Women's Committee meeting in Berlin on 20-21 October was particularly well attended by women delegates from Europe, the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and the America's covering all transport industries. Representing Australia was Asia/Pacific delegate Sue Virago.

This was the first committee held outside London.

The Committee welcomed ITF General Secretary David Cockcroft's statement that "the future of transport unions is dependent on our ability to organise women".

The Executive board adopted the committee's recommendations of:

Positive guidance on women transport workers' representation sent to all affiliates by the General Secretary/Executive Board

Supplementary question on women transport workers' representation added to the annual membership questionnaires and the affiliation procedure

Report on women transport workers included on agendas of all major ITF meetings

Letter from the General Secretary/Executive Board requesting nomination of contact people in order to build the ITF Women's network

Request for affiliates to sign up for the Women Transporting the World Campaign Day, 8 March 2004

At the meeting, the Committee discussed the work programme including:

Support for international campaigning around the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2003)

Discussion of results of the Gender in Transport Unions Survey about women's involvement in unions activities and structures

Planning for March 8th Women Transporting the World 2004 - Strong unions need Women

Building the ITF Women's Network

Taking forward industrial issues across the sections

The Global Union's statement on the WTO, Cancun 2003, World Social Forum in January 2004, and additional ways of ensuring international coordination delivers for women transport workers

The ITF Women's Committee agreed the following action to take forward the work programme:

1. Establish a monitoring system for the work programme, including the initiatives above

2. Develop action from the results of the survey to support organisation and involvement of women including women in leadership and young women

3. Solidarity with workers in Malaysian Airlines due to discriminatory retirement ages for men and women as well as restrictions on the timing and number of children women can have and remain employed. This initiative will be part of a more extensive ITF campaign against airline sexism.

4. Examine ways ITF women can be supported against sexual harassment, bullying and discriminatory personal attacks at work and in the union

5. Workshop on international organisations, equality laws, core labour standards, gender, globalisation and trade, held alongside ITF Women's Committee.

6. Commitment to practical support for the Women's Network, including the production of a contact directory and promotion of bilateral contacts, union sponsorships and efforts to ensure each union has nominated a network contact by the end of 2004.

7. Development of two specific education modules:
a. Training women to become negotiators
b. Raising awareness on issues specific to women to be used by all sections.
Progress on both modules must be monitored.

8. To take forward action research in four key areas: Women transport workers and globalisation, multinationals and supply chains, non-mobile work, informal work.

9. To identify the impact of constitutional changes on the ITF Women's Conference and Committee activities

10. Recognition of the extent and importance of this work programme and the need to ensure sufficient resources in the Secretariat/Women's Department.

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