UNISON wins workplace protection for domestic abuse victims

New domestic abuse protection orders will help to prevent abusive partners coming to victims’ workplaces As the Domestic Abuse Bill moves through Parliament to become law, UNISON has won a key amendment to ensure that domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs) will apply to the workplace. The new protection orders are set to replace domestic violence […]

Raising my voice against FGM

Raising my voice against FGM By Sandra Charles, Regional Women’s Committee member The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines female genital mutilation as: “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The age at which girls undergo FGM/C varies enormously according […]

Women make great Health and Safety Reps

Women make great Health and Safety Reps! There has been an increased interest in Health & Safety, and UNISON South East have recruited and are training 70 new Health & Safety Reps to work with employers and their local branch to make work safer for all our members. Reps in most workplaces will receive full […]

Women on the frontline feeling pressures at work and home during pandemic

New UNISON report shows the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on women

Challenging racism is at the heart of what unions do

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist”  Angela Davis Saturday 20 March 2021 marks the UN anti-racism Day of Action. Regrettably the effect of the global pandemic meant that demonstrations set to take place last year had to be postponed. However, an exciting online gathering event will replace […]

UNISON SE celebrates LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month is back again this February and we are encouraging all our members to join the celebrations. Though we are still restricted by the lockdown there are some terrific events planned and lots of resources available for branches. After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is “more important than ever” to celebrate […]

Vibrant and positive debate at The Patriarchy and the Pandemic

With face to face events on hold during Covid-19, the South East Regional Women’s Forum went virtual this year

Isle of Wight UNISON support reforms to the Gender Recognition Act

UNISON IOW members are very concerned that the long promised reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) may not be going ahead, despite their importance to the well-being of trans people and widespread public support. A protest was organised on Saturday 11 July by branch Equalities Officer Yve White BEM and Sydney Cardew, LGBT+ Officer […]

Taking it’s toll on our members

As a union, we are in a strong position right now, but we need to maintain our strength and visibility for the undoubtedly rocky road ahead

Pride month – during a pandemic

June usually represents a time when we come together to celebrate Pride in a spirit of love, acceptance and inclusion; a time when we honour the memory of the original Stonewall activists and organise to face the challenges still ahead. Sadly, the devastating effects of the coronavirus have meant the cancellation of over one hundred […]

Black Lives Matter: Black Members Matter

For any members of our community feeling angry, sad, scared, or frustrated we are here to support you

COVID-19: Black and female workers – more impacted than the rest

Anyone can be infected by COVID-19. But it’s increasingly clear that that’s where the equality ends

Then and now, International Women’s Day

Women trade unionists in New York. Photo: The Kheel Center On March 8, 1857, women garment workers in New York City demonstrated against their inhumane working conditions and low wages. They were attacked by the police and dispersed. Two years later, the first female trade union in the US was formed by these women to […]

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past and present and this year will be particularly important as it marks 100 years since the day was honoured for the first time. For more info: www.internationalwomensday.com Women’s history has been long overlooked. During the month […]

A Million Women in UNISON – 2020 National Women’s Conference

With the UK having just started its first full year under a Boris Johnson government, one of the dominant themes at conference was continuing austerity – because, aside from the announcement of a rise in the national minimum wage to come in the spring, election campaign promises to end austerity have yet to be realized. […]