News online
ITF translations available: Deutsch, Español, Français, Svenska Google free translation: Italiano, Norske, Português, Türk, 中国的, 한국의, Bahasa Melayu, ภาษาไทย, हिंदी, اردو,
தமிழ், Kiswahili, Русский, العربية
Asia Pacific women get stronger voice
26 June 2009
Women trade unionists in the Asia Pacific region will have a stronger voice, thanks to the creation of new positions on ITF regional and section committees. The seats were created at last week’s Asia Pacific regional conference, as a result of recommendations from the women’s meeting held just before.
The meeting urged unions to organise more women, especially in light of the global economic crisis. The crisis is badly affecting women workers, who suffer disproportionately from job losses.
“I am totally confident that the newly elected women leaders will support the regional affiliates to meet these challenges and strengthen unions in the Asia Pacific region,” said Alison McGarry, ITF women transport workers coordinator. “Electing women leaders on to these committees will help regional organising strategies that target non-union women transport workers.”
Unions need to include women organisers and negotiators so that organising and collective bargaining work takes account of gender issues, the meeting found.
Women have increasingly been participating in union and ITF activities at the sub-regional and regional levels. But the region has had very few women at the committee level. The ITF is taking the lead, and hopes to encourage unions to involve more women in decision-making positions in the near future.
Kalpana Desai of the Mumbai Transport and Dockworkers Union and Pauline Lim from the Malaysia Airline System Employees Union (MASEU) were elected to the regional committee.
Back to current news online stories
|
view larger image
