IT’S not hard to find historical examples of women in Scotland being at the forefront of the struggle for workers’ rights. More than a century…
Women have made their voices heard within the country's biggest trade unions, writes Professor Gregor Gall
Into the new millennium, there have been more strikes by women workers – in 2001 by NHS medical secretaries in Glasgow, in 2004 by the nursery nurses and in 2018 by Glasgow City Council workers. Outside of Scotland, Christina McAnea heads UNISON, Sharon Graham Unite, Pat Cullen the RCN, Jo Grady the UCU, Sarah Woolley the BFAWU bakers’ union, Michelle Stanistreet the NUJ journalists’ union and Shavanah Taj the Wales TUC. PCS will have its first female general secretary – whichever candidate wins later this year.
How has this welcome transformation come about? There have been campaigns – like the Stand Aside, Brother one pioneered by Lynn Henderson, a former PCS Scottish regional secretary – and internal union self-organisation by women as well as reserved seats on union executives to ensure representation for women.Yet most of the explanation has come about for two reasons. And, these are based upon the now long-standing phenomenon of women making up the majority of a union’s members.
This does not mean acting in male, macho ways. Rather, it means showing the acumen and steeliness to carry the day with arguments and campaigns inside and outside of their unions as well as with employers and governments.
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