Private and Confidential
TWC 4 – 12 March 2013

The Women’s Committee
Minutes of the second meeting (2012/2013) held
at 1pm on Tuesday 5th February 2013 at
Congress House
Contents
Item 29
Item 30
Item 31
Item 32
Item 33
Item 34
Minutes of Previous Meeting
TUC Women’s Conference 2013
International Women’s Day Update
PSED update
Any Other Business
Date of Next Meeting
Present
Sarah Veale, Head, Equality and Employment Rights Department and
Secretary to the Committee; Scarlet Harris, Policy Officer; Sally
Brett, Senior Equality Policy Officer (for Item 32).
Pat Stuart (Chair), Barbara Baker, Jennifer Gray, Alice Robinson,
Susan Matthews, Samantha Webster-Moore, Lucia McKeever, Evelyn
Martin, Sharon Harding, Eleanor Smith, Hayley Pickles, Joanna Brown,
Lorraine Parker, Max Hyde, Kathy Duggan, Tracy Barlow, Lesley
Mercer, Wendy Hurst and Diana Holland.
Apologies were received from Sheila Bearcroft, Christine Blower,
Mary Bousted, Gloria Mills, Jane Carolan, Su Patel, Susan Matthews,
Maria Exall, Lucia McKeever, Sue Ferns, Linda Roy, Sue Bond, Maire
Daley, Gail Cartmail, Janice Godrich, Sally Hunt, Chris Keates,
Angela Lynes, Julia Neal, Liz Snape, Fiona Wilson, Christine Payne,
Michelle Stanistreet, Clare Williams, Barbara White and Jane
Stewart.
Obituaries
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The Committee stood for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for
three recently departed sisters.
Wendy Jones was the National Equalities Officer at the FDA and was a
valued member of the Women’s Committee.
Jane Rodgers of Usdaw, worked for Boots, was Chair of Blackpool
Trades Council was an activist against the BNP, and had been a
delegate to TUC Women’s Conference on many occasions.
Inez McCormack was a civil rights campaigner, trade union activist
and became ICTU President. She had an important role to play behind
the scenes in the Good Friday Agreement.
All three women will be greatly missed by the Women’s Committee.
Item 29
Minutes of previous meeting
Action The minutes were AGREED
Item 30 TUC Women’s Conference Update
The Committee was invited to agree that the amendments were in
order. The Committee agreed the amendments were in order.
It was suggested that a statement from the Committee in relation to
P17 would be welcome. The Committee noted that government policies
of austerity and welfare reform were exacerbating the issue of
domestic violence. Committee members felt that the title of the
motion may be problematic and could provoke a difficult debate.
It was agreed that the decision regarding P17 should be deferred to
the Committee meeting in March (TWC4).
It was agreed that all other motions and amendments would be
supported by the Committee.
With regard to compositing, the Committee proposed that the
following motions may be suitable for compositing:
P1, 2, 3, and/or 4 – possibly as one composite, possibly split into
more than one composite or a combination of a composite and discrete
motions.
P5 and P6
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20 and P23
P25 and P26
P35 and P38
It was agreed that a statement from the Committee outlining the key
changes to employment rights would be helpful.
It was reported that Liz Snape would not be able to chair the
conference this year and that Sally Hunt is next in line. If Sally
Hunt is unable to chair the conference, the next in line will be
Evelyn Martin.
The Committee were informed that the Marble Hall had been booked for
the social which would take place immediately after conference on
the Thursday. It was noted that the rally and the social would have
an impact on fringe meetings as there were fewer potential slots for
fringe meetings to take place.
The Committee were updated on plans for the pre-Budget rally on 13th
March. The rally would take place in Westminster after conference
business on 13th March. Unfortunately the TUC would not be able to
provide transport, primarily due to the heavy traffic at that time
of day on the route to Westminster. Taxis will be provided for any
delegates with restricted mobility who are unable to walk or get the
bus to the rally. TUC staff would be on hand to direct delegates to
public transport routes.
Sashes in suffragette colours would be provided. The TUC was working
to ensure that there was a good gender balance amongst the speakers.
The Committee requested that the TUC should circulate information
about directions/travel/etc.
The theme for the conference was once again discussed by the
Committee and it was agreed that “Women: Organise to Challenge,
Mobilise to Win” or similar would best capture the spirit and
objectives of the conference.
It was agreed that the sashes for the rally should say “Organise and
Mobilise” in suffragette colours.
Action It was AGREED that all amendments were in order except for P17 which
was referred to TWC4 for a decision.
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It was AGREED that the Committee would make a statement in relation
to P17 reaffirming the Committee’s commitment to ending all forms of
domestic violence.
It was AGREED that the Committee should prepare a statement in
relation to the key changes to employment rights.
It was AGREED that the TUC should provide directions to the prebudget rally.
Item 31 International Women’s Day update
The Committee were advised that this year’s TUC International
Women’s Day event would take place at 6pm on 7th March 2013 at
Congress House. The event would focus on Arab women’s rights and
would include speeches by Jalila al-Salman of the Bahraini teachers’
union, Lesley Mercer, Frances O’Grady and Suzanne McCarthy of the
Ethical Trading Initiative. Music and refreshments would be
provided.
Committee members were provided with invitations to share with their
colleagues.
Action The report was NOTED
Item 32 PSED Update
The Committee was given an update
Equality Duty. They were informed
last year its intention to review
part of its agenda to reduce what
bureaucracy”.
on the review of the Public Sector
that the Government had announced
the Public Sector Equality Duty as
it deemed to be “unnecessary
The TUC wrote to the then equalities minister raising concerns about
the review and about how unions would be involved in this process.
The government responded with a commitment that unions would engaged
in the process.
In November details of the review were published. It was announced
that the steering group was to be made up of representatives from
senior echelons of public service organisations – precisely the
organisations that the Duty is intended to hold to account. No
representatives of service users or public sector workers were to be
included on the steering group. The Terms of Reference were
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published at the end of November 2012. A report was due to be
submitted to ministers at the end of April. There had been no call
for evidence.
The TUC had set up an informal working group to coordinate a trade
union response. It was agreed that the General Secretary of the TUC
should write another letter to the equality minister raising
concerns about Trade Union, worker and service user engagement. The
minister responded simply to say that the government was “committed
to equality”.
In further worrying developments, speeches made by the Prime
Minister and others have indicated that the government is sending a
clear message to employers that Equality Impact Assessments are not
necessary.
It was reported that a briefing paper would be prepared for the TUC
Executive Committee and then circulated widely to unions.
The Committee queried whether the Duty was covered by European law
and whether there may be some recourse to Judicial Review.
Unfortunately, it was noted that there is no recourse to Judicial
Review or European courts as there is no requirement for the Duty in
European law.
It was proposed that the Committee should submit an Emergency Motion
to TUC Women’s Conference. This proposal had unanimous support from
Committee members.
Action It was AGREED that the briefing paper should be circulated to the
Committee
It was AGREED that the Committee would prepare an Emergency Motion
on the issue.
Item 33 AOB
a) Facility Time
A member of the Committee canvassed the Committee for information
about how they secure facility time for conferences. Committee
members reported that increasingly employers were denying facility
time for conferences as this was deemed to be “an activity” as
opposed to “duty”.
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Several Committee members reported that they have to use annual
leave to carry out trade union duties.
It was suggested that combining CPD and training activities with
conferences might make it easier for delegates to secure facility
time.
Committee members offered to share best practice agreements where
unions had negotiated generous and detailed provision for facility
time.
Action It was AGREED that the office would look into the possibility of
incorporating more training opportunities and CPD into Women’s
Conference.
b)
Childcare at the Conference
It was reported back to the Committee that the office had received
advice cautioning against removing the sentence reminding delegates
that the permission of the school must be sought if school age
children were to be brought to Women’s Conference. The Committee
felt that it was unnecessary to remind delegates of the legal
position and reiterated the Committee’s position that the wording
should be removed.
Action It was AGREED that the wording should be removed.
Item 34 Date of the next meeting
The next meeting would be held at 1pm on Tuesday 12th March 2013.
Signed …………………………………………………………………………..
Date …………………………………………………………………………….
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