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Notes
For the sixth consecutive year, in 2007, a higher proportion of women than men were trade union members (Mercer & Notley, 2008). These are figures for all certificated UK unions. Not all are affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC). However the discussion in this paper, and indeed, in most writing in the field, except where specified, refers to the TUC unions.
From 1979 until the early 1990s, I edited the women’s pages of the journal of the print union SOGAT ‘82 (Society of Graphic and Allied Trades); for most of that time the general secretary was a woman: Brenda Dean, which undoubtedly had a strong impact on the union. Currently I am a lay officer of my own union, the University and College Union.
M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother? The history of the British Labour Movement 1780-1951. London: Pluto Press, 1993, p. 4.
Ibid., p. 19.
Old unionism, and apprentice based craft unionism, male, relied on skill and scarcity value of labour, with the engineering workers being in the vanguard of exclusion in these Closed unions. New unionism relied on sheer force of numbers, male and female. These Open unions welcomed women from the start, accounting for the first recorded real increase in women’s TU membership from around 50,000 in 1888 to about 432,000 in 1913 (DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit., p. 95).
S. BOSTON, Women Workers and Trade Unions. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1987, p. 23.
Ibid. p. 24.
M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit., p. 113.
Ibid. p. 38
Idem.
Ibid. p. 111.
For further debate and detail see histories such as S. Boston, Women Workers … op. cit., M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit.; B. Drake (1920) Women in Trade Unions. London. Labour Research Department. Republished by Virago Press, 1984 and S. Rowbotham, Hidden from History. London: Pluto Press, 1977 (3rd edition).
There is an annual celebration at the Black Country Living Museum of the women chainmakers’ who in 1910 went on strike for 10 weeks for their right to a minimum wage for their industrial sector. Their dispute was an important step towards establishing a National Minimum Wage - finally achieved in 1999 (www.indymedia.org.uk Nov 2008).
D. SINCLAIR, ‘The Importance of Gender for Participation in and Attitudes to Trade Unionism’, Industrial Relations Journal, v. 27, n. 3, 1196, p. 241.
S. Mercer & R. Notley, Trade Union Membership 2007. A National Statistics Publication. London: Department for Business and Regulatory Reform, 2008, pp. 4-7.
TUC, A woman’s place is in a union. Report to 75th TUC Women’s Conference March. London: TUC, 2005, p. 11.
S. MERCER & R. NOTLEY, Trade Union Membership 2007 … op. cit. p. 8
D. SINCLAIR, op. cit., p. 239.
Sue LEDWITH, S, HAYES, M, JOYCE, P. and GULATI, A. ‘The making of women trade union leaders’, Industrial Relations Journal 21, 2, 1990; G. Kirton & G. Healy, ‘Transforming union women: the role of women trade union officials in union renewal’ Industrial Relations Journal, 30: 31-34, 1999, p. 38; S. WALTERS, ‘Female Part-time Workers’ Attitudes to Trade Unions in Britain’, British Journal of Industrial Relations. 40: 1 March 2002, pp. 49-68.
S. LEDWITH et al ‘The making of woman trade union leaders …’, op. cit., pp. 116-118, S. Ledwith, ‘The future as Female?’ in C. Phelan (ed) The Future of Organised Labour, Oxford: Peter Lang, 2006.
S. WALTERS, ‘Female part-time workers’ attitudes …’ op. cit., p. 62.
TUC, A Woman’s Place is in a Union. Report to 75th TUC Women’s Conference March. London: TUC, 2005, p. 7.
E. HEERY & J. KELLY ‘Do female representatives make a difference? Women full-time officials and trade union work’, Work, Employment and Society. Vol 2:4 pp. 487-505. December, 1988, p. 501.
J. Waddington and C. Whitston, ‘Why Do People Join Unions in a Period of Membership Decline?’ British Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 35 Issue 4, pp. 515-546, 1997, p. 524-5.
Ibid. p. 534.
S. WALTERS, ‘Female part-time workers’ attitudes …’ op. cit., p. 64.
J. Waddington, J. & A. Kerr, p. 160.
FOC is Father of the Chapel (shop steward] in the print industry. Women are known as MOC; Mother of the Chapel.
S. LEDWITH et al ‘The making of woman trade union leaders …’, op. cit.,, p. 119.
Ibid; F. COLGAN & S. LEDWITH, ‘Sisters Organising – Women and their Trade Unions’ in S. LEDWITH & F. COLGAN (eds). Women in Organisations: Challenging Gender Politics. Basingstoke: Macmillan Business, 1996.
F. COLGAN & S. LEDWITH, ‘Sisters Organising …’, op. cit., p. 175.
G. Kirton & G. Healy, op. cit., p. 38.
J. LIDDINGTON & J. NORRIS, One Hand Tied Behind Us: The rise of the women’s suffrage movement, Virago Press, 1978; new 21st anniversary edn., Rivers Oram Press, 2000.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit. p. 16.
Idem, M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit. p. 84.
M. DAVIS, op. cit. p. 84.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit. p. 35.
Ibid, p. 128, M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit. p. 85.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit. p. 34.
M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit. p. 99.
C. Cockburn, Brothers: Male Dominance and Technological Change. London: Pluto, 1983, p. 36.
B. DRAKE, Women in Trade Unions. London: Labour Research Department. Republished by Virago Press, 1984, p. 97.
Ibid. p. 99.
Ibid. p. 97.
S. ROWBOTHAM, Hidden from History. London: Pluto Press, 1977 (3rd edition), p. 117.
Ibid. p. 118.
B. DRAKE, Women in Trade Unions. op. cit. pp. 92-93.
ROWBOTHAM, Hidden from History op. cit., p. 130.
M. DAVIS Comrade or Brother … op. cit., pp. 208-209.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit., pp. 212-214.
Ibid., p. 215.
L. Briskin, ‘Union Women and Separate Organizing’, in L. Briskin and P. McDermott (eds), Women Challenging Unions, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993, pp. 89–108 and L. Briskin, ‘Autonomy, Diversity and Integration: Union Women’s Separate Organizing in North America and Western Europe in the Context of Restructuring and Globalization’, Women’s Studies International Forum, 22, 4, 1999, 543–554.
F. COLGAN & S. LEDWITH, ‘Sisters Organising’, op. cit.; S. Ledwith & F. Colgan, ‘Tackling Gender, Diversity and Trade Union Democracy: A Worldwide Project?’, in Colgan F. & Ledwith S. (eds), Gender, Diversity and Trade Unions: International Perspectives, London: Routledge, 2002; J. Parker, ‘Women’s Groups in British Unions’, British Journal of Industrial Relations. 40, No. 1. 23-48, 2002; J. Parker, Women’s Groups and Equality in British Trade Unions, Lampeter: Edwin Mellen, 2003; G. Kirton & G. Healy, ‘Shaping union and gender identities: a case study of women-only trade union courses’, British Journal of Industrial Relations. 42: 2 June, 2004, pp. 303-323; S. LEDWITH, ‘The future as Female?’ in C. Phelan (ed), The Future of Organised Labour, Oxford: Peter Lang, 2006.
S. Ledwith & F. ColgaN, ‘Tackling Gender, Diversity and Trade Union Democracy: A Worldwide Project?’, in F. Colgan & S. Ledwith (eds), Gender, Diversity and Trade Unions: International Perspectives, London: Routledge, 2002, p. 22.
S. Ledwith, ‘Encounters between gender and labour politics; towards an inclusive trade union democracy’, Equality Theory and Research, ed. Ozbilgin M. and Elgar E. 2009/forthcoming.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit., p. 147.
Ibid., p. 148.
A. Coote & B. Campbell, Sweet Freedom: the struggle for women’s liberation. Oxford: Blackwell, 1987 (2nd edition), p. 159.
TUC, Women Workers: Report of the 48th annual conference of representatives of trade unions catering for women workers. London: TUC, 1977, p. 2.
A. COOTE & B. CAMPBELL op. cit., p. 169-70.
TUC, Women Workers …, op. cit., p. 2, TUC, 51st TUC Women’s Conference: Report for 1980-81 of the TUC Women’s Advisory Committee. London: TUC, 1981, p. 4.
TUC, Women Workers …, op. cit., pp. 12 & 18.
F. COLGAN & S. LEDWITH, ‘Sisters Organising’, op. cit., pp. 158-9.
A. McBride & J. WADDINGTON, ‘Union Mergers and Gender Democracy’, Bulletin of Comparative Labour Relations, 67, Challenges of European Employment Relations, 2008.
S. BOSTON, op. cit., p. 149.
Ibid., p. 150.
SERTUC, Treading Water…. SERTUC’s Eighth Survey of Equality in Trade unions. London: Southern and Eastern Regional Council, 2008.
Colgan F. & Ledwith S. (eds), Gender, Diversity and Trade Unions: International Perspectives, London: Routledge, 2002, p. 178.
UNISON Rules 1993, London: UNISON, 1993.
B. Fryer, ‘The making of UNISON: a framework to review key events, processes and issues’ in M. Terry (ed) Redefining Public Sector Unionism: UNISON and the future of trade unions. London: Routledge, 2000, p. 42.
J. Parker, ‘Women’s Groups in British Unions’, British Journal of Industrial Relations. 40, No. 1. 23-48, 2002.
For more details, especially on structures for Black and Minority Ethnic members (BAME), Lesbian Gay, Bisexual and Transgender [LGBT] members, and Disabled members, see SERTUC reports, and individual union websites.
Figures for NATHFE, one of the two partner unions in the UCU merger of 2007. (SERTUC 2004).
Figures for AMICUS prior to the Unite merger. (SERTUC 2004).
SERTUC, Treading Water…. SERTUC’s Eighth Survey of Equality in Trade Unions. London: Southern and Eastern Regional Council, 2008, p. 2.
Ibid., p. 7.
Idem.
F. COLGAN & S. LEDWITH, ‘Sisters Organising …’, op. cit., p. 160.
TUC Equality Audit. A Statistical Report on Trade Union Action on Equality, London: TUC, 2007, p. 2.
Ibid., p. 4.
ROWBOTHAM, Hidden from History, op. cit., p. 133.
A. COOTE & B. CAMPBELL, Sweet Freedom … op. cit., p. 179.
Women against nuclear weapons who camped and demonstrated and campaigned at the US airbase at Greenham Common in Berkshire.
A. COOTE & B. CAMPBELL, Sweet Freedom … op. cit., p. 179.
Dispatcher, 1997.
Ibid.
J. Dromey & G. Taylor, Grunwick, the Workers’ Story. London; Lawrence and Wishart, 1978, S. Lahiri, 2002, p. 122, Moving Here. Migration Histories, www.movinghere.org.uk accessed 21/11/08.
R. Gupta, ‘Heroines of the Picket’. London: The Guardian, 2005.
Sivanandan A., ‘The Grunwick Strike’, Race & Class, Vol. 19, no. 1, summer, 1977.
S. BOSTON, Working Women … op. cit. p. 57.
Ibid., p. 81
Trade Union Family Trees, Teachers’ Trade Unions. Trade Union Ancestors, www.unionancestors.co.uk accessed Nov 23, 2008.
M. DAVIS, Comrade or Brother … op. cit., p. 100.
Ibid, p. 210.
Ibid., pp. 167-168.
Ibid., p. 210.
S. BOSTON, Women Workers … op. cit. p. 249.
A. COOTE & B. CAMPBELL, Sweet Freedom … op. cit., p. 159.
This, the Ford dispute, and other notable Equal Pay stories are told in the UK TUC’s Equal Pay Archive and series of short DVDs, launched in 2008. (TUC, The Equal Pay Story – scenes from a turbulent history, Recording Women’s Voices, A TUC oral history project on equal pay, London: TUC, 2008). See www.tuc.org.uk/equality.
Ardha Danieli illustrates this paradox in her discussion of ways in which equality ‘good sense’ measures involving a theoretically coherent intellectual and reasoned ideology become subverted through masculinised ‘common sense’ forms of resistance (A. Danieli, ‘Gender: the missing link in industrial relations research’ in Industrial Relations Journal. Vol 37:4 July 329-344, 2006, p. 336.
A. COOTE & B. CAMPBELL, Sweet Freedom … op. cit., p. 165.
A. MILLER, Winning Equal Pay: the value of women’s work. TUC History and work related learning on-line, TUC, 2008. www.unionhistory.info/equalpay.
C. Thornley, ‘Unequal and low pay in the public sector’ Industrial relations Journal: Special Issue on Gender and Industrial Relations. July. Vol 37, 4, pp. 344-359, 2006350)
Ibid., p. 353.
National Statistics On Line 2008, TUC 2008, p. 5.
TUC, Closing the Gender Pay Gap, An Update report for TUC Women’s Conference 2008. London: TUC, 2008, p. 29.
T. COLLING & L. DICKENS, Equality Bargaining, Why Not? Warwick University/EOC, 1989.
C. Cockburn, Women, Trade Unions and Political Parties. Fabian Research Series No 349. September. London: The Fabian Society, 1987, p. 12.
TUC, Closing the Gender Pay Gap, op. cit., p. 30.
E. Heery, ‘Equality Bargaining: Where, Who, Why?’ Gender, Work & Organization, Volume 13 Issue 6, 2007, p. 522.
E. Heery & J. Kelly, ‘Do female representatives make a difference? Women full-time officials and trade union work’, Work, Employment and Society. Vol 2:4 pp. 487-505. December, 1988, p. 501.
Amelia GENTLEMAN, ‘Equal pay is a step too far in recession, says rights body’, The Guardian, Monday 16 March 2009.
Fawcett Society, ‘Women Shortchanged on Equal pay’, www.fawcettsociety.org.uk, 2008.
S. Ledwith & F. Colgan, ‘Tackling Gender, Diversity and Trade Union Democracy …’, op. cit., p. 21
Nira YUVAL-DAVIS, ‘Beyond differences: women, empowerment and coalition’ in N. Charles, & H. Hintjens, Gender, Ethnicity and Political Ideologies. London: Routledge, 1998.
S. LEDWITH, ‘The Future as Female?’, op. cit., p. 116
see for example F. Colgan, ‘Recognising the lesbian and gay constituency in UK trade unions: moving forward in UNISON?’ Industrial Relations Journal. 30, 5, pp. 444-63, 1999 and G. Healy, H. Bradley & N. Mukherjee, ‘Individualism and collectivism revisited: a study of black and minority ethnic women’, Industrial Relations Journal. 35:5, 2004, pp. 451-466.
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