Diana Holland

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How has the women’s campaign gone since the last ITF Congress four years ago?
The ITF has continued to mobilise women transport workers from more unions, in more countries all over the world, for International Women’s Day, the International Day against Violence against Women and in regional, sectional and workplace action. It is clear that we have a great deal more to do, but I think this is a key test of whether women transport workers’ activities are moving forward, so I am delighted.

What are the big issues affecting women transport workers at this Congress?
My concern at the last Congress in Vancouver was how powerless and fearful too many women transport workers seemed to feel faced with the enormity of globalisation, and the remoteness they felt from the decisions taken that affect them. Four years later the problems arising from globalisation remain our highest priorities. They revolve around: contracting out, privatisation, redundancies, jobs in less well organised, less secure areas of work, and new pressures on women transport workers, which can make discrimination, bullying and harassment even harder to cope with.

Why should all unions represented in Durban strive to improve women’s representation?
ITF women have recognised that to meet the challenges of globalisation, we need a strong united trade union movement, with women not just organised in trade unions, but in key leadership roles at all levels, too. The areas that are less likely to be organised are areas where women are more likely to work – so to build organisation, you have to reach women. At the same time, the impact of globalisation has tended to hit the jobs done by women first and hardest. Organising women in globalised industries is therefore critical for all transport workers.

How is this done?
First they need to tackle capacity building in unions – to ensure that women are more effectively represented and in leadership roles. It is vital that they work towards more equality within the union, and build women’s structures. The new ITF work pack Making Unions Stronger is designed to assist unions in this. We welcome increased participation of women transport workers in ITF activities overall, but know that more needs to be done in many areas, and continued monitoring is vital. My union’s executive board now has a commitment to a 30 per cent target for women’s participation in all ITF education activities. It is also committed to helping us ensure that the plans and priorities put forward by the ITF women’s committee become part of the whole ITF agenda.

What are you hoping will be the outcome of the women’s conference at Congress?
It is an opportunity for the representatives of over a quarter of a million ITF women transport workers to come together worldwide at a unique event.We have to concentrate on ensuring that every representative feels their priorities have been covered. And crucially, we have to work together at Congress to find ways to ensure that our decisions will be implemented through the actions not just of the women’s programme, but within the sections and regions of the ITF.

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