New guide supports women bus workers

Buses are an essential part of all modern societies. It takes hundreds of thousands of workers worldwide to keep them running efficiently and effectively – and an increasing number of these workers are women.

To support unions in making buses better places for women workers, the ITF today launched its new publication Women Bus Workers – Driving to Equality. This new best practice guide for road transport unions shares strategies to promote women as bus drivers; union campaigns to address workplace issues for women in the bus industry; and union initiatives to organise and mobilise women bus workers. It uses case studies, information and checklists to suggest ways that all workers can push to make bus services safer and fairer for passengers and workers alike.

ITF inland transport section secretary Mac Urata said: “Women play a bigger part than ever before in keeping much-needed bus services running. None of the women doing this vital work should face, for example, pay inequality, sexual harassment, or violence in the workplace – and it is the responsibility of all workers and their unions to challenge these practices and to make buses the safe places that passengers and workers alike deserve. To achieve this, we need more women in union structures; in leadership positions, negotiation teams, and involved in campaigns, so that together men and women workers can build stronger unions.”

The guide is available for download now at www.itfglobal.org/infocentre/pubs.cfm/detail/41445