Ei-iE

The women delegates from the national trade union confederations and European trade union federations discussed amongst other topics, the ETUC campaign towards the elections of the European Parliament and the new ETUC Resolution on gender equality. The latter is to be presented for adoption to the ETUC Executive Committee in June this year.

With a clear majority, the delegates elected Mrs Rosanna Ruscito from FIT CISL, Italy, for the post of substitute to the ETUC Women’s Committee Presidium. ETUCE affiliates will have the opportunity to meet her personally at the upcoming ETUCE seminar on promoting gender equality in teacher unions in Utrecht on 7 May 2014 where Rosanna will be giving a presentation.

Analysing this year’s results of the annual ETUC 8 March survey, it is evident that a change regarding gender equality in trade unions is badly needed, with the female trade union affiliation rising disproportionally to the male affiliation and women remaining underrepresented at leadership level (number of women in trade unions: 19.350,285). The participants welcomed the outcome of the qualitative part of the survey, which showed that trade unions in Europe had focused on trade union action concerning violence against women. It showed an overall positive picture of trade unions engaging in this topic, covering both prevention of workplace and domestic incidents of violent acts against women.

Underlining this result, the presentations from Jane Pillinger, ETUC study on Bargaining for Equal Pay, Christine Jakob, EPSU study on the public services, and Juan Luis Barbolla Casas,  European Commission, confirmed the picture of women being disproportionately represented in leadership and paid affecting other areas of life such as  well-being, family and healthy ageing.