Women's SOG

Welcome to the UNISON South West Regional Women's page.  Women make up more than two thirds of the membership of UNISON and takes a lead on negotiating and campaigning for women's rights in the workplace and in the community. 

 Click HERE to go to the UNISON Women's Page on our National Website

Date For Your Diary

Saturday 29 September 2012

The UNISON South West Regional Women's Conference

Genesis Centre, Somerset College, Wellington Road, Taunton

further information to follow

Click here for a booking form

Women's Self-organisation

There are women's self-organised structures at national, regional and branch level.  In some branches a women's network might run on the basis of a regular newsletter and electronic communication.  In others women meet to talk about their concerns and develop proposals for promoting equality to feed into the wider structures of the union.  In both ways women also provide support and encouragement to each other.

Please click on this page: http://www.unison.org.uk/women/pages_view.asp?did=106 which will give you further information.  If you havent got a Women's Group in your branch and would be interested in starting one, or finding out a bit more please contact Vicky Boroughs, Regional Women's and Equalities Officer.  Also, take a look at the Branch Guide to Setting up Women's Groups.

 National Women's Committee

The National Women's Committee is comprised of representatives from each region, plus representatives from the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT), disabled and black members groups and from the National Executive Council(NEC). There is also an Annual National Women's Conference which sets the agenda for the National Women's Committee.

 South West Regional Women's Committee

The South West Regional Women's Committee meets four times a year and is in regular e-mail contact.  The purpose of the Regional Women's Committee is:

• to encourage women's participation at branch, region and national level
• to promote equality
• to campaign for changes which remove discrimination and inequality, in partnership with other self-organised groups, in pursuit of equal rights

The Committee also organises training and an Annual Regional Women's Conference, which is usually held at the end of September.  this is also when the annual general meeting is held and new members are elected on to the committee.  Women can either 'self-nominate' or be nominated from their branch.

Click on the link below to read the annual report and find out what work the committee has been involved in. 

  Regional Women's Committee Annual Report 2010/2011 

 The Regional Women's Committee 2011/12

Regional Women's Committee Contact Details

E-mail:  swrwc@unison.co.uk

Alison Buck, Joint Co-ordinator - Telephone: 01884 235216 (am only)  e-mail: alison.buck@petroc.ac.uk

Jane Carter, Joint Co-ordinator - Telephone 07919 248973 e-mail: jane_carter@bathnes.gov.uk

Vicky Boroughs, Regional Education and Equalities Officer - Telephone:  01823 285314  e-mail:  v.boroughs@unison.co.uk

Carol Thyer, Team Administrator to Vicky Boroughs - telephone 01823 285314 e-mail:  c.thyer@unison.co.uk

South West Regional Women's Newsletter

The Regional Women's Committee produce a regular newsletter which is produced approximately four times a year.  Click on the links below for copies of the newsletters produced fo far this year

 May 2012                      January 2012

If you have any article that you would like considered for the newsletter please forward them to the South West Regional Women's Committee. 

South West Branches Women's Newsletters

Branches around the region have Women's Groups who also produce newsletters for their membership which have local as well as regional and national articles.  Please click on the link below to read the two issues published by the Women's Group in Plymouth.

Issue 2 - March 2012      Issue 1 - February 2012

The Newsletter for Women UNISON Members in the Plymouth area

If your Branch produces a Women's Newsletter and you would like to share it with other women members around the region please e-mail a copy to us at swrwc@unison.co.uk  

Women's Training  

Women and Pensions

Resources and links are available to provide branch women officers and any women who want to become active a good base for leafleting and raising awareness about the women and pensions issues. 

 The Work of the Regional Women's Committee

• The public sector cuts are having a significant and disproportionate impact on women both as staff and users of public services.  The Regional Women's Committee continues to identify this as a priority issue both in raising awaremess and encouraging women to challenge and campaign against these measures.  In May 2010the Committee produced an information pack for women much of which is still relevant as it offers brief guidance and advice on a whole range of money-related issues and also provides details of other sources of specific support and advice. 
• Pressures of work and increase of workplace bullying.  There is evidence of extra pressure on staff as a result of the cuts.  With fewer staff, there will be more work and less patience around which is leading to an increase in a bullying culture.  there is pressure to work lunchtimes, higher sickness and stress levels.  Women managers are also stereotypically more likely to be labelled as bullies.   The Regional Women's Committee is working with the Regional Health & Safety Committee to develop some materials giving advice to women about how to recognise and deal with workplace bullying and workload prioritisation.  The Committee will also consider tips for women as managers.
• Improving communication.  As part of a strategy to increase the participation of women in the region we have developed a blog site (http://swuwc.blogspot.com) which we hope will be particularly of interest to young members.  Regional Women's news is produced three times a year http://www.unisonsouthwest.org.uk/_assets/images/equality/women/documents/regional%20womens%20news%20january%202012.pdf, for the latest edition.   We are particulary interested to hear from members about what is happening to you, women that you know or the impact on women in your workplace.  Please e-mail your experiences to Vicky Boroughs swrwc@unison.co.uk.  There is also an e-mail network of Branch Women's officers and other women activists or members.  If you would like to be included in the network please contact Vicky with your details.  It has been some years since the region has had specific women's merchandise for recruiting, organising and campaigning.  The Committee will be selecting and ordering some soon.  So watch this space!
• Recruitment.  The Committee has developed a new women's recruitment leaflet and form that has been sent to all branches and the Women's Network.  Please ensure you have a good supply for any recruitment events.
• Violence against women.  Supporting campaigns against violence and abusive behaviour towards women is always a key priority for the Regional Women's Committee.  It has been recommended to all branhces that they negotiate the new UNISON model policy on domestic abuse with their employers.  It is available from the National website.