Union Women At Work

Union Women @ Work

Union Women @ Work is your one-stop shop to access information for women in the workplace. You will find fact sheets of workplace and general health, plus information on the latest legal and industrial developments as well as lifestyle and culture.

In Australia women make up almost half of the membership in trade unions

• Women represent 42.9% of union members (men represent 57.1%)
• 21.5% of women workers are union members (24.5% of men are union members)
• Women also make up half the workforce. They represent 44% of people employed compared to 28% in 1964.

There are also a number of women leaders in the movement. Twenty-two percent of union Presidents are women, including the ACTU and the Labor Council of NSW. Women also make up 20% of union Secretaries and 55% of the ACTU Executive.

Labor Council Women's Committee

Those attending use the forum to exchange information and ideas on issues of importance to women workers. They also use the forum to develop policies and campaigns to improve working conditions for women and to increase participation by women in their unions.

While the Women's Committee has no formal status within the Labor Council structure it is one of the longest standing committees that continues to meet regularly.

It has been responsible for Labor Council running major campaigns on child care, pay equity and work & family issues.

Current issues on the Women's Committee agenda are:

• practical implementation of the pay equity principle
• paid maternity leave
• child care
• the ACTU work and family test case
• superannuation
• organising women workers so that they have an active role in their unions

To join a mailing list to receive messages when the Woen At Work site has been updated or submit information or stories, please email: unionwomen@labor.org.au

Background Information