Annual conference

The following are the motions put forward by the National Women’s Committee to Annual Conference. They are motions that originally came from women members on branches. Please look out for them on the preliminary agenda to Annual Conference.

2008

Elections

This Annual Conference believes that accountability and democracy are at the heart of the Fire Brigades Union.  In regard to the election of the Women Members Executive Council Member, National Chair and Secretary, this Annual Conference is concerned that Rule 19 (3) (e) which enables Brigade Committees to nominate one woman member as a candidate for these positions, does not afford true democracy and accountability to women members.  This Annual Conference believes that the constituent group (Brigade Womens Committees), to whom the relevant official is subsequently accountable, should therefore be the nominating committee.

Therefore; this Annual Conference instructs the Executive Council to formulate the required rule changes in order to address this issue. These rule changes to be presented to the next rule change Conference.

Unisex Facilities

This Annual Conference is concerned by the growing development and use of unisex facilities in the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS).  This Annual Conference does not support the idea which is being pursued by some FRS diversity managers that the adoption of unisex facilities can challenge and change the culture of the FRS.

Women members inform us repeatedly of the need for privacy at work in regard to toilet, shower and changing facilities and as such this Annual Conference opposes the use of unisex facilities in the workplace.

This Annual Conference therefore instructs the Executive Council to enter into negotiations at the National Joint Council regarding this issue, with the aim of ensuring that our members do not suffer from a lack of privacy and dignity whilst at work.

Representation

This Annual Conference believes that the decision of Annual Conference 2004 and 2005 which carried resolution 58 and the subsequent change to rule 25(3)(a) respectively, has proved detrimental to the Fire Brigades Union’s policy ‘All different All Equal’ (ADAE).  This Annual Conference is concerned that in cases of bullying, harassment and discrimination, where assistance is subsequently removed from a member following an ADAE investigation, that the FBU is representing members who do not have an arguable defence for bullying and harassing others.  This AGM believes that this sends a negative message to the many women that are suffering at the hands of these bullies and will deter women members from making justifiable claims of harassment and bullying.

This Annual Conference calls for the ADAE policy to revert to its original position of withdrawing representation from a member who is accused of discrimination, bullying and/or harassment until such time as an arguable defence is located by the relevant Regional Committee.

2007

PFI

This Annual Conference has seen first hand problems surrounding facilities for women at many new build PFI Fire & Rescue Service workplaces.

Examples of these problems include:

• Unisex facilities – affording little privacy
• No floor to ceiling partitions on toilets and showers
• Joint locker rooms
• Lack of sanitary machines and sanitary disposal vestibules

This Annual Conference believes that the finances required to provide adequate facilities for women at these workplaces are being sacrificed in order to maximise profit for the private companies who have gained the PFI contract.

This Annual Conference believes that the above circumstances add further authority to the FBU policy of opposing PFI buildings within the UK Fire & Rescue Service and demands that the Executive Council produce an up to date record of all PFI buildings within the Service which lists the facilities provided for women at each.

This record to be produced by the 2007 Women’s AGM.

AGM PROCESS

This Annual Conference recognises that the NWC has the responsibility within the FBU of dealing with issues that ‘primarily concern women’.  Women recognise that the issue contained within this Resolution may affect the other sections but it is being persistently raised by women through their structures at brigade, regional and national level.

This Annual Conference acknowledges that changes were made at Annual Conference 2002 which enabled the National Women’s Committee to submit 3 Resolutions to Annual Conference, however, currently the National Women’s Committee cannot amend their own Conference Resolutions, cannot amend any other Conference Resolutions or policy statements, cannot submit Emergency Resolutions, cannot submit rule changes or proposed amendments to Annual Conference Standing Orders.

This Annual Conference calls upon the Executive Council to formulate the relevant changes to the processes required to address this issue and for this to be reported back to the Women’s AGM 2007 and will include the required rule changes which shall be submitted by the Executive Council to Annual Conference 2008.

RETENTION OF WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS

This Annual Conference notes that some brigades spend a lot of time and thought on encouraging women to become firefighters because of the Government’s targets, but very little work is done to ensure that women remain in their chosen profession.  Complacency towards breaches of equalities policies is the normal response.  Complaints are difficult to make, and when made are often dealt with poorly.  Women leave rather than put up with an isolating and unfriendly environment.

Women have been full-time firefighters in the UK for more than 23 years.  Many women have joined the Service, but numbers of women are still very low due to the Fire and Rescue Service being unable to retain women.  Retention rates are not being made available to the Fire Brigades Union.

We therefore demand that the Executive Council negotiate within the NJC an effective strategy for brigades to create workplaces which women are happy to work and remain in.

2005

Flexible working

Mothers working in the Fire Service repeatedly state that they enjoy the 2 2 4 shift system which they find family friendly. However, they do feel that some flexibility may be required at some stages of their children’s lives. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Government is committed to helping working parents and as such all have a right to apply to work flexibly and their employers have a statutory duty to consider those requests seriously.

This Conference calls upon the Executive Council to provide guidance to Brigade Officials to better enable them to assist women members when they make such applications and in any subsequent appeals where appropriate.

Chilcare

This Conference notes that childcare is a barrier to the involvement of women in the Fire Brigades Union due to the majority of women members being the primary carer. Following the “Childcare Policy Review” carried out by the National Treasurer and agreed at the Executive Council as laid out in circular 2004HOC0315DW, this Conference notes that whilst this is a progressive move, it still falls short of the FBU assuming financial responsibility for all costs incurred by Officials due to childcare. The current ceiling imposed is restrictive and does not take into account the costs for overnight care for children. This Conference calls on the Executive Council to remove the maximum limit imposed and to commit the FBU to full reimbursement of all reasonable costs incurred by Officials, Reps and members whilst undertaking FBU business and activities, in regard to childcare provided by a registered childminder.

International women's day

This Conference supports the campaign instigated by the T&G Women’s Committee, to make international Women’s Day on the 8th March an additional Bank Holiday, as it is in a number of other countries. International Women’s Day is for women in all countries to come together as sisters to commemorate their achievements and to continue to organise for change to improve women’s rights.

We note that women in the UK and around the world still face discrimination, injustice or worse in many aspects of their daily lives and are appalled by this ongoing situation.

We also note that the British people have fewer Bank Holidays than the rest of the European Union and they work for longest hours.

This Conference calls on the Executive Council:

• To fully support the campaign for an additional Bank Holiday on International Women’s Day that the T&G Women’s Committee has initiated.
  
• To actively campaign using their links inside and outside the Fire Brigades Union, to make International Women’s Day a public holiday.

Kerry Baigent,
National Women's Secretary

2004

Conditions of Service

This Annual Conference is appalled at the employers’ continual use, of the need to recruit more women in the Fire Service as an excuse to make changes to our conditions of service, in particular the shift patterns. This is immediately discredited by the fact the Emergency Fire Control Staff, predominantly women, have enjoyed this shift pattern for the past 25 years, and which assists with family life.

We call upon the Executive Council to immediately make clear to the employers that, to use women as an excuse for any proposed detrimental changes to our conditions of service is not only cowardly but transparently divisive.

Actions on Resolutions

This Annual Conference recognises that when resolutions and draft policies are passed through national committees to the Executive Council, there are no time limits set by the Executive Council for them to be actioned.

Therefore, we call on the Executive Council to ensure that when a resolution and draft policy submitted by the National Women’s Committee is passed and agreed at Executive Council level, it will be acted upon within twelve months and that interim quarterly progress reports will be made to the National Women’s Committee as a matter of urgency.

Women’s right to choose

This Annual Conference acknowledges that the 1967 abortion law was a huge step forward but it does not go far enough. The current law does not allow a woman the right to choose, the grounds for abortion are badly defined, the system will delay abortion, it does NOT ensure adequate provision of abortion services and it does not extend to Northern Ireland.

This Annual Conference demands that we actively support campaigns such as the NAC and the Trade Union Campaign Voice for Choice.

This Annual Conference also supports these principles:

• To change the law to allow women the right to decide for themselves whether or not they are ready for motherhood up to and including 14 weeks of pregnancy.
• To make abortion available with only one doctor’s approval from 15 – 24 weeks of pregnancy.
• To place a duty on doctors to declare their conscientious objection to abortion and to refer to another doctor immediately.
• To extend this amended act to Northern Ireland.
• To place a duty on the National Health Service to provide adequate abortion services for local need.
• To establish sexual health and abortion information in Trade Union publications.

Kerry Baigent,
National Women's Secretary

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Published by Fire Brigades Union National Women's Committee