Category: international women’s day

UNISON celebrates International Women’s Day in Glasgow

On Wednesday 8 March, UNISON delegates from across the UK celebrated International Women’s Day in Glasgow.

The day-long event, organised by the Scottish region, included a walking tour of women’s organising and trade union history in Glasgow, a workshop on how to tackle sexual harassment at work and in the union movement and a panel discussion on the achievements of Scottish Black women.

Addressing attendees on the day, UNISON Scottish secretary Tracey Dalling said: “We come together to celebrate each other. We draw breath as we push on in achieving equality and equity not just for ourselves but for the women coming after us.

“Never ever pull up the ladder. As we say in Glasgow, there’s always room for a wee one.”

The evening’s entertainment featured live music from Yvonne Leon (pictured), Soundsational choir, Shaz Martin and Broghan.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “We all rely on women workers every day, and they carried us all through the pandemic. Their work is often undervalued and underpaid, but UNISON knows the true value.”

UNISON project lead Beth Bickerstaffe said: “The event was designed to celebrate the contributions of UNISON women and women throughout trade union history.

“It’s important that the union movement celebrates and values our women activists and makes sure to invigorate those who are normally on the frontline defending our members.”

UNISON is the largest women’s organisation in the UK, representing over one million members.

The article UNISON celebrates International Women’s Day in Glasgow first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Celebrating working women: UNISON prepares for IWD 2023

UNISON is organising an International Women’s Day event in Glasgow on 8 March next year to celebrate the contributions of care workers, cleaners, school workers, librarians, and administrators to their workplaces, communities and the union.

General secretary Christina McAnea said: “UNISON will be using the opportunity of International Women’s Day in 2023 to celebrate the vital contributions that women in our union make. Their work is often undervalued, so I’m looking forward to meeting women from across UNISON to thank them for everything they do, day in, day out”.

Guests will be able to attend workshops, including historical walking tours of Glasgow and banner making, before enjoying music and entertainment in the evening. 

Register for the event here

Branches will be asked to pay for travel, accommodation and any childcare or elder care required. Childcare at the event will be provided free of charge.

Cleaning supervisor Lyn-Marie O’Hara, who is part of the team organising the event, has been involved in UNISON for 30 years. After joining as a member on her first day of work at Glasgow City Council, she now sits on the union’s national executive council, representing low-paid women in Scotland. 

Ms O’Hara hopes that the event will encourage more low-paid women to become activists within the union: “I know a lot of women work part-time, and they won’t step up to become a steward or activist because they say ‘I can’t do that on top of everything else’, and we say ‘yes, you can, because you’ll get branch support, training and your hand held if you require it.’”

Ms O’Hara was involved in the historic equal pay campaign in Glasgow, when women working in traditionally female jobs such as catering, cleaning and care, found that they were being paid less than men in jobs such as refuse collection.

More than 8,000 union members – overwhelmingly low-paid women – took successful strike action and won pay increases.

Ms O’Hara is looking forward to the event in March: “I’m incredibly proud to be part of UNISON, and I want all low-paid women in the union to know: if I can do it, you can do it. I’m looking forward to welcoming women to our city, and celebrating what we can do when we all band together.”

The article Celebrating working women: UNISON prepares for IWD 2023 first appeared on the UNISON National site.