International Women's Day Campaign Page
2012 International Women's Day
IWD 2012 is coming up again and the Union is planning for another great training day!
It's time to put your expression of interest in so we can start organising the day.
Women's business is Union business and in 2012 the NUW will be running a big campaign for secure work. Women workers make up the largest proportion of workers in insecure work and we need to make sure that our voices are heard as we campaign for Jobs You Can Count On
This year the event will be at the NUW office in Docklands on Thursday 8 March 2012
March for Equal Pay at the next Pay Up Rally
Find out more at the Pay Up website here.
International Transport Workers' Federation says no to violence against women
"Women transport workers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) drove home the message that violence against women is a serious issue that must be tackled at an event in the Congolese capital recently..."
You can read more about this event here at the ITF website
FWA decision finds gender inequality in pay packets
In an historic decision on 16 May, Fair Work Australia (FWA) ruled today that the ASU and its Equal Pay Case partners have proved that social and community services workers in the not for profit sector are underpaid and that at least part of the reason for that underpayment is gender. However, FWA is seeking further submissions in order to determine the rate of increases.
Read more about the findings here.
Tata/Tetley tea plantation dispute ends in a settlement
Since August 2009, workers at the Nowera Nuddy tea garden in northern West Bengal, India, have been fighting for their rights in harshest of conditions.
Women of the NUW showed their solidarity to the women workers at the Nowera Nuddy tea plantation on International Women's Day earlier this year.
For two years, in the face of intimidation and violence, women at the Tata/Tetley owned plantation remained strong and united after one of their fellow tea workers, Arti Oraon, was abused by the garden hospital doctor while pregnant. Their spontaneous protest resulted in two management-imposed lockouts, which lasted three months.
The workers fought long and hard and have now won the following improvements to their working conditions and rights:
• the mutual withdrawal of the criminal cases filed by both workers and management;
• payments to all workers employed at the time of the second lockout;
• family members of the two dismissed workers to be offered permanent jobs and the two dismissed workers to be given compensation;
• management to make a cash payment to Ms Oraon's child as a gesture of goodwill;
• a joint union-management meeting to be held at the estate to establish procedures and mechanisms for resolving grievances and raising awareness on maternity benefits and protection.
For the full story click here.
The NUW salutes the resolve and courage of the workers at the Nowera Nuddy tea garden, and supports them in their future campaigns for respect, safety and better conditions a work.
2011 International Women's Day
This year, NUW women from across the country gathered at the Victorian State Parliament on Tuesday 8 March to celebrate International Women’s Day for 2011. Keeping in line with the theme of ‘Leadership,’ we were lucky enough to host a number of impressive female leaders including Matilda’s Captain Melissa Barbieri and ACTU President Ged Kearney.
Together, we reflected on the past struggle for equal rights as well as the long road ahead. While women have made impressive gains in realising their basic rights, inequalities persist and continue to disadvantage women simply because they are women! Melissa highlighted the inequity that exists in many professional sports where women are often payed much less than men. This reality is not uncommon as Ged pointed out, with women earning $1 million less than men over a lifetime.
The women in our Union continue to inspire each other with acts of leadership and Delegate and HSR Meg Stewart is no exception. Her recollection of her involvement in EBA negotiations drew cheers from the crowd. An equally enthusiastic response was given in support of our sisters overseas at the Tetley-Tata Tea (Nowera Nuddy) plantation in India. In a show of solidarity we stood on the steps of Parliament protesting the treatment of female workers there.
The day was a resounding success and 2011 is sure to be a standout year for NUW women.
2010 International Women's Day
The National Union of Workers celebrated their 2010 IWD by putting on a workshop targeted to the superannuation needs of women, with members and delegates from around Australia and overseas participating.
Members from Uncle Toby's filled in a survey on their superannuation attitudes with some surprising results which are available for download.
NUW industrial relations officer Susie Allison's SEWA report [Self-employed Women's Associaton] is also available for download.
