The Women's Committee of the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF). RMT's Janine Booth sits on this Committee, and posts reports of its meetings and activities here. The ETF gender equality website is <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org/etf/women.cfm">here</a>.
What is working life like for women (and men) on the Bucharest Metro? How does it compare to our situation on London Underground? In Bucharest with the ETF Women's Committee, I spoke with Metro workers and gathered some facts …
WHAT IS THE ETF?
The European Transport Workers’ Federation, linking transport trade unions across Europe. RMT is one of several UK affiliates.
Its Women’s Committee includes nominees from various countries and sectors. I am a member of the Committee for the term 2013-2017.
PRIORITY CAMPAIGN 1 – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN TRANSPORT WORKERS
Despite having no funding for this campaign, we have been able to take a couple of useful initiatives:
BELGIUM
Women trade unionists are supporting the Justice for Jimena Lopez campaign and are increasing the representation of women within the union.
SPAIN
DOCKS / PORTS
The Social Dialogue Committee for Ports had adopted a document about women's employment, including recruitment and working conditions for women. Women's employment has increased as technology has led to much port work becoming less physical.
Now the document has been adopted, it needs to be implemented. The strategy is based on raising awareness and changing the image of port work rather than on imposing quotas. Some trade unions have objected to this initiative, as they see women as "taking men's jobs".
The European Transport Workers' Federation's Women's Committee meets twice per year to discuss issues facing women transport workers across Europe and to drive forward the programme of work agreed by the four-yearly ETF Women's Conference.
WOMEN'S HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK
An ETF Women’s Committee meeting consists of the elected Committee members, representatives of each sector (railways, civil aviation, etc), guests from affiliated trade unions, local women trade unionists (this time, from Antwerp port), and ETF staff. At the next meeting, we will be joined by the newly-elected young women’s representative. I have proposed that RMT arranges for our National Women’s Advisory Committee Chair, Becky Crocker, to attend the next meeting, in March 2015.
Women’s Health and Safety at Work
Women Working at Antwerp Port
Having begun working as a receptionist in 1975, Monique Verbeeck is the first female secretary of the Belgian port union, BTB. She is also the ITF and ETF women port workers’ representative. Monique introduced a deputation of women union activists from the Port of Antwerp, who addressed the meeting and took us on a visit to the port.
A DHL worker told us that port working is no longer entirely a “man’s world”, although it is still male-dominated.