Attention: industrial and women's correspondents, Eastbourne media, union journals

Working women call for an end to violence

Women trade unionists from across the UK will be heading to Eastbourne today (Wednesday), on International Women's Day, to attend the 76^th TUC Women's Conference to debate a wide range of issues of importance to working women, including equal pay, pensions, pregnancy discrimination, childcare, and violence against women.

The main theme of this year's conference is violence against women, an issue which includes the trafficking of women. Late last year the TUC signed up to the End Violence Against Women Coalition along with a number of organisations including Amnesty International, Women's Aid and the Women's National Commission. The coalition is calling on the Government to introduce a national strategy to tackle domestic violence in all its forms.

Over the three days of conference - which starts at 2pm today - delegates will hear from Minister for Women Tessa Jowell MP and two women trade unionists who have travelled over from Iraq. Nazanin T Ali of the Kurdistan Workers Union and Violet Essa Qalaab of the Oil and Gas Union will share their experiences of the role of trade unions in rebuilding Iraq. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber and TUC President Gloria Mills will also speak at the event.

Speaking at the conference later today (Wednesday) TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber will say: 'International Women's Day gives us the chance to celebrate the achievements of women in today's society, as well as reflect on the continuing inequality and discrimination that many face. Unions are continuing to campaign for the issues that matter to women: equal pay, decent wages, maternity rights, decent pensions and quality affordable childcare. And in recent years we have also focussed our attention on the less visible crime of violence against women.

'This conference is an opportunity for ordinary working women to discuss and debate issues and plan changes that can make a real difference to the lives of women today and in the future.'

Another key topic down in Eastbourne will be childcare, with the delegates calling for more quality, affordable childcare and better pay and conditions for the childcare workforce.

The conference comes days after the publication of the Government-backed Women and Work Commission Report showing the continuing levels of discrimination faced by women throughout their working lives. The Commission said that jobs such as childcare where the majority of the workforce are women, were consistently undervalued and low paid.

The Commission also said that women face a penalty throughout their lives for trying to balance work and family life. Many women find that they have to make a trade off between working or caring for their children because of the rising costs of childcare. Despite the welcome investment by the Government in recent years, a recent report showed that the average cost of a childcare place for children aged under two was £142 per week. A lack of quality, affordable childcare is a significant barrier to women returning to work, delegates will hear.

To try to make a difference to working women, the TUC recently published its guide 'Who's looking after the children' which details the support that employers can offer their workforce struggling to balance work and family commitments, including providing workplace nurseries and buying childcare places in local nurseries.

On childcare, Brendan Barber will say: 'Despite the Government's significant investment in the childcare sector, a lack of quality affordable childcare continues to be a barrier to women wanting to return to work or into training. But it isn't just parents who are losing out, it's also the childcare workforce. This is a sector which has been neglected and ignored for decades, and this is reflected in the wages and conditions of the workforce. The Government must be congratulated for the commitment it has shown to this sector, but the workforce must be properly rewarded for the vital work they do looking after our children - our workforce of the future.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Copies of Who's Looking After the Children - a trade union guide to negotiating childcare are available from the TUC press office. Where are the Women? A briefing on women's participation in trade unions is available from the TUC press office.

The 76^th TUC Women's Conference opens at 2pm on Wednesday 8 March and ends on Friday lunchtime (10 March). The conference takes place at the Winter Garden in Eastbourne, with speakers including Minister for Women Tessa Jowell MP, Nazanin T. Ali from Kurdistan Workers Union and Violet Essa Qalaab from the Oil and Gas Union in Iraq, Norma Stephenson, Labour Party National Executive Committee, TUC President Gloria Mills and TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber.

Contacts:

Media enquiries : Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (900 words) issued 8 Mar 2006