ETF Women's Conference - Aland, Mariehamn, 2005

Over 100 transport workers, of which 80 women, took part in the open morning session of the 1^st ETF Ordinary Women’s Conference, in Aland (Mariehamn), on 24 May 2005. Wilhelm Haberzettl, ETF President, Erika Young, chairperson of the ETF Women’s Committee, and Satu Silta, on behalf of the Nordic Transport Federation opened the works of the conference. The ETF President greeted the Women’s Committee active contribution to bringing gender equality in the forefront of the ETF work. The ETF President’s message focused on the rapid changes in the transport industry, affecting men and women transport workers in a different way. While an increasing number of women take up jobs in transport, segregation, discrimination, pay inequality, poor work-life balance, and inequality in health and safety persist. The ETF President called for the all affiliated transport unions to take concrete action in the coming four years, to ensure that the industry offers equal opportunities to all transport workers, be they men or women.

For many of the trade unionists attending the event, the conference offered the opportunity to debate on and contribute to the ETF future priorities in the area of gender. For many participants this was the first opportunity for a full overview of the ETF gender equality work. The presentation of the activity report and of two European projects coordinated by the Spanish colleagues and by European social partners in the railway sector helped give an overview and prepared the debate on the future action plan. The question of quality of job and quality of life for women in Europe stayed at the core of the conference. Thus, representatives from the Dublin Foundation, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), from the Lithuanian Transport Workers’ Union stressed on the fact that while more and more women take up jobs, their home and family commitments remain as heavy as in the past. They therefore resort to insecure employment (flexible work) and remain heavily dependant on the ever declining social contribution of the welfare state!