TUC Women’s Conference, Scarborough, 9 - 11th March 2005

Guests & Speakers included -

Violet A. Essu - Oil & Gas Union in Basra, Iraq.
Fatma Mehdi - Secretary General of the Western Sahara Women’s Union.
Poonam Joshi - Amnesty International UK.
Jeannie Drake - TUC President.
Helen Jackson - MP.
Brendan Barber - TUC General Secretary.
Christine Hay - Co-operative Women’s Guild.
Yemisi Ilesanmi - Nigeria Labour Congress & Chair of ICFTU Youth Committee.
Margaret Bauman - Chair of Congress Women’s Committee, ICTU.NI.
Barbara Limon - Employment Policy Officer, Equal Opportunities Commission.
Janet Cassidy - Scottish TUC Women’s Committee.

Fire Brigades Delegation - Ruth Winters President, Vicky Knight EC Member, Dona Feltham NWC Chair, Kerry Baigent NWC Secretary, Janette Ferguson NWC Region 1, Jo Winrow-Jones NWC Region 5, Staci Leach NWC Region 6, Patsy Griffith G & L Region 6, Sally Harper NWC Region 9.

Dona spoke in support of - Pensions – Age & Gender Discrimination.

Dona says in 1999 the Government carried out a Thematic Review and targets were set for the Fire Service to achieve a workforce of 15% women and 7% Black & Ethnic Minorities by 2009. To date we have achieved 4.5% women and 0.09% Black & Ethnic Minorities - Haven’t we done well!! I don’t think so!!

At the same time with a stroke of a pen a plan was being hatched by the same Government to obliterate the careers of Professional Operational Emergency Fire Control Staff, who are predominantly women. They plan to reduce the 58 Emergency Fire Controls that we currently have in the UK to 9. Reducing the number of Controls will obviously reduce the opportunities for Emergency Fire Control Staff to progress in their chosen careers. In addition to these brutal Public Sector cuts, our employers are currently trying to implement an Integrated Personal Development System, which is basically vocational training designed to make each individual responsible for their own progress. By default it will allow the ever invisible ‘ glass ceiling ‘ to be surreptitiously and corporately applied to the detriment of Control Staff who have always been undervalued and underpaid as Emergency Fire Control work has always been seen as ‘ women’s work ‘.

Janette spoke in support of - Women’s Oppression & Gender Stereotyping.

Janette says being a member of a “ young “ union with a diverse lead officials team, women in the Fire Service can easily be convinced that we have it all. We compare our position in society and at work to the positions of our mothers and grandmothers before us and we think that things are good for us. After all, we are firefighters, we think that we are accepted and for women firefighters our pay is equal to that of the men. It is easy for us to continue with our eyes shut and think that we have reached a position of equality. Sometimes, it takes time for us to realise that we have in fact become surrogate men. In our so called modernized Fire Service our Emergency Fire Control Operators still do not receive the same pay as firefighters, and also 79% of our Emergency Fire Control Operators are women. I think this tells us something!!

An important part of the Fire Brigades Union’s pay claim was for Emergency Fire Control Operators to achieve equal pay status. This was reviewed and increased, but the pay is still only 95% of a firefighters wage. I stand by the fact that the job an Emergency Fire Control Operator does is of equal importance to that of a firefighter and as such should be paid equally.
This is why the ‘ Charter for Women ‘ ( see page ) represents something very exciting for the women in the Fire Brigades Union. It gives women a campaigning focus and shows us how far we still have to go, not just in the workplace, but in society as a whole.
The Charter highlights the many arena’s that women still need to do battle in to achieve the recognition we deserve, and it makes us proud to be women.

The National Women’s Committee of the FBU did not hesitate to adopt the Charter wholeheartedly. Not just because of the obvious workplace issues that we are constantly battling against, but also as a progressive union we are involved in many campaigns outside the workplace. Our women’s committee is committed to tackling the three broad areas of the Charter, Social Policy – the Labour Market – and the Labour Movement.

Oh! and just in case you aren’t sure, we are women who are proud to be part of this revitalised fight for women’s liberation.
After 2 1/2 years in industrial action, we needed to revisit our radical views, explore our ‘ selfish side ‘ and remember the many victories that were won at the expense of women and just to realize it’s time to prioritise our ‘ women’s ‘ issues.
In a male dominated industry like ours, our agenda will never be popular, but that is not a reason to stop progressing it.

Patsy seconded motion 12 - Flexible Working.

Patsy says as a mother of three and a young one at that!! I had no real chance of getting very far when it came to getting on let alone climbing the career ladder. The only jobs open to me ( in reality ) were part-time, low paid ones – with very little or no career prospects. Now there’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what you want, I wanted more!! Now I know for a fact that I didn’t and don’t stand alone on this.

I didn’t have a family, or friends who were able or willing to help - in fact – much of them were in the same position and suffering the dilemma’s that I was. Even if the help and support were there why should I or any other woman ask or require it??

I wanted to have the choice, to be able to go out to work in a challenging, fulfilling job and have the means to be able to get a mortgage.

Despite the fact that I was competent and had skills, drive and ambitions, I was unable to use these skills purely because of the unreasonable and impractical hours I was asked to work.

So, I had to choose – I chose my longing, my desire, my need to raise my children, to be there for my children before my longing, my desire, my need to have a career – not that the latter was any less important. I wanted to be there for my kids, and my kids wanted me there. The one thing that was preventing me from having both – which I may add, isn’t asking for too much, were the inflexible working hours. I waited and waited until my kids were older.

23 years have passed since I gave birth to my first child and the same obstacles are still there. So, it infuriates me as an employee in the Fire Service – as a Firefighter, that my employers still don’t take the issue of flexible working seriously. In fact the Fire Service Employers, both locally and nationally will use anything to attack workers.

In an industry where women make up only 4.5% of the workforce, our employers have made our lives even harder than it already was, and that’s at a time when our employers had a real opportunity to put women’s issues on the agenda – ( they didn’t ) – issues such as maternity, rights to a toilet & shower in the workplace, uniform that fits, and to send a message that harassment and bullying
will not be tolerated and of course take a serious position on working flexibly.

They chose instead, to use women as a tool, to change shift a pattern that actually works, and women workers stated in a survey carried out by the FBU National Women’s Committee is conducive to a family friendly life.

We don’t accept that to change a 2day 2 night 3 off shift pattern to 6 days of 8 to 4, or 6 days of 4 to midnight or midnight to 8 as a better system in terms of family friendly, yet this is the system they are putting before us as an option. It’s got nothing to do with improving the working lives of women, but has a lot to do with the downgrading and degeneration of the British Fire Service.

At present when a woman firefighter applies for flexible working hours within their present role, they are refused. Instead they are offered an alternative shift pattern – and I use that word very loosely – an alternative shift pattern in line with their Brigades ‘ Modernisation Plan ‘ and are left with the impossible situation of their own personal need forcing them to participate in the unacceptable cuts being made. This is not what we mean when we request flexible working – I know I didn’t wait for 23 years for this – don’t let our employers use and abuse us any longer.

Jo Winrow-Jones in support of Motion 15 – Defending Public Services.

Jo says the importance of ‘ speed and weight of attack ‘ had always been the theory behind fighting any fire.
I’m a firefighter and we have always responded to your 999 calls quickly and with enough staff to carry out the task safely. We’d slide down the fire station pole and under blue lights and with sirens blaring, 2 fire engines would speed to the fire reported at your home.

It’s 4 in the morning and on our arrival your neighbour states that you must still be in the house. We sledge hammer door open and pulse a spray of water to assess the temperature and protect our entry. 2 firefighters will search for your probably now unconscious body upstairs whilst the 2 firefighters downstairs will control the fire conditions to prevent a flashover. Too much water on the fire will scald not only the firefighters, but you lying on the bedroom floor. The remaining staff outside will be ready to put up a ladder should the crews inside need to escape via an upstairs window. They are also part of our safe system of work, monitoring how long the crews have been inside, ensuring a constant supply of water and necessary equipment, including a resuscitation set for when we carry you to fresh air.

The fire will then be extinguished and the damage kept to a minimum. This all can sometimes happen in minutes. ‘ speed and weight of attack ‘ But the thinking has changed. Reform, modernisation, whatever euphenism you want to use has replaced a once reactionary service with a new pro-active service. Community Fire Safety has meant that the fire awareness education in our communities has improved and many homes have now been fitted with a free smoke alarm.
Initiatives the Fire Brigades Union applaud. But, what if you still have a fire??

The national standards of fire cover are gone!! They dictated speed of response to any type of fire incident. Not any more!! On the advice of you Chief Fire Officer, the Fire Authority decides!! Section 19 was repealed!! This process gave your community a democratic right to challenge any proposed cuts to you fire service. Not any more!! again, the Chief Fire Officer advises the Fire Authority.

A fire call to your home can now be responded to with one fire appliance with only 4 or 5 firefighters.

So, what has happened to our safe system of work?? Well we can call for assistance if we arrive at an incident which requires more staff, but how long does that take to arrive??

I am told not to enter a fire unless there is another crew available to help me in case things go wrong, but their 5 minutes away and you are lying on that bedroom floor. What do you want me to do?? Obvious!! But I’ll be compromising my own health and safety. Who will be controlling the fire downstairs?? We are now being told by our employers, when there is a fatality that “ they were probably dead before the crews left the station “ My last Chief Fire Officer said, “ people were either dead or dying within the first four minutes, so what’s the rush “. My current Chief Fire Officer claims “ the 5th firefighter on that fire appliance is only there to feed the horses “, referring to the fire service of the early 20th century and extremely offensive. He wants to get rid of 150 frontline firefighters in Merseyside.!!

Smoke alarms will never put fires out!! They can compliment the service we deliver, but they can’t replace it!!
Have you ever phoned for the police or ambulance, the wait can be hours, sometimes days for the police.
Prioritising 999 calls is something we too have begun in the fire service.
There is no doubt – fire deaths will increase, firefighters deaths will increase.

What’s happened to your Fire Station?? Are there plans to downgrade it from 2 pumps to 1 pump?? Or, from wholetime to retained?? Make it your business to find out, it may matter one night!!

The Fire Service is being well and truly ‘ reformed ‘ we have, IRMP, TRV, SART, IPDS, ICCT, IMT, USART, CLMT, IRU, GRA, and a lot of S.H.I.T!!

Vicky spoke in support of motion 26 – General Council – Equalities Seats.

Vicky asks, that conference notes that, at present, the equalities seats on the General Council, section D – J, are elected at TUC Annual Congress and that we believe that the equality conferences are the correct electoral constituency for these seats. The Women’s committee should therefore be instructed to liase with other TUC equality committees in order to progress a reform of TUC procedures, allowing for the elections of the seats in Sections D – J by the appropriate equality conferences.

Ruth moved the FBU’s motion – Regionalisation of Emergency Fire Control Rooms.

Ruth said, this conference should be aware of the Governments proposals to reduce the number of control rooms in England and Wales from 49 to 9 and in Scotland from 8 to 1. The FBU firmly believes that these proposals forms part of New Labour’s political agenda on regionalisation and is in no way based on improving the Fire Service. This conference should note that this political policy on regionalisation was overwhelmingly rejected by the public in the North East Referendum held in November 2004.

Should these proposals be implemented there will be job losses of 47% within Emergency Fire Control Rooms where women are the majority workforce.

This Conference should also note that these proposals will have a negative impact on the highly efficient service provided by the Fire & Rescue Service throughout the UK and would result in an increased risk to both Firefighters and the public.

Therefore this conference calls on the TUC and all affiliates to oppose the Governments proposals on the Regionalisation of Emergency Fire Controls by :

i) supporting the FBU’s national campaign.

ii) publicising the FBU campaign entitled “ Campaign Against Regionalisation “; and

iii) lobbying Government, MP’s and Local Councillor’s to oppose this initiative.

Ruth seconded Emergency Resolution 1 – Public Sector Pension Dispute.

Ruth said - the present government’s attacks on Pensions, affects an unprecedented number of the public sector. In terms of the FBU it’s not just the occupational Firefighters Pension Scheme in the Fire Service being attacked but also includes our Emergency Fire Control Section ( who are members of the Local Government’s Pension Scheme ), they make up 1,500 of our members, 76% of whom are women and constitute almost half the women in the Fire Service, they are totally opposed to the present attacks on the ‘ 85 rule ‘, the decrease in our financial security and the extension to our working life.

All detrimental changes from a Government who talks of choice whilst clearly giving us none!! We have a policy of long standing that these members should be in the Firefighters Pension Scheme – we did extensive research, we found that our Emergency Staff retired early through ill-health significantly more often than any comparable workers in local government, our mortality rate after retiring is significantly higher than any comparable group of workers in local government – we put our case to – our proven case – it was rejected – why?? Because not enough of us exists, apparently – too small a group to use as a study group – ludicrous!! – a perverse argument?? But we commit to do all we can to support the many and varied forms of action with other unions on the 23rd March. We hope it’s not the only action but the first of many, if necessary.

The proposed changes to the firefighters pensions scheme would bring it more into line with the Local Government Pension Scheme and away from the historic match with the Police Pension Scheme, the FBU believe that this misrepresents the role of the firefighter, even if the change in role of firefighters arising from the Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004 are accepted ‘ Firefighting remains a dangerous job ‘, even if firefighters adopt an increased fire safety responsibility.

In the existing scheme the normal retirement age for firefighters is 50, if they have 25 years service or more, otherwise it is age 55. The proposal is that this will be changed to age 55 for everyone. It must be borne in mind that firefighters have a shorter life expectancy than other public sector employees. The OPDM says that improved working practices means that this will not be true in the future, but members in the current scheme are precisely the people who were working when the job was less safe than it is now. Their life expectancy has not suddenly gone up. Police Officers will still be able to retire at 50. Why shouldn’t Firefighters??

Conference these are the facts for both groups of members within the FBU. But, we all know none of us can let this attack go by, although the timescale for our proposed changes are later than some others, we are building our action, including strike action if necessary, for a pre-election strategy and will be liasing with any other union who will be doing the same after 23rd March. Meanwhile, we commit to any support and participation required to assist other unions mobilising earlier.

Sisters, we cannot afford to miss this opportunity to react, ( because the Government certainly will ), and react effectively and together with full TUC support. Whilst unions taking action in isolation shouldn’t and I’m, sure wont be ruled out, we can tell you from experience, this government will do as much as they can to stop us. They’ll use different tactics to the Tories, but they’ll pick you off and destroy you. We can’t let that happen. We need to mobilise together!! React together!! and ultimately Act together!! and continue to act together until we effect the changes we as working women and men want. Because, if this move succeeds, it will be the beginning of a rolling programme.

Sisters, our women’s section use a quote from ‘ Maya Angelou ‘ as our guiding theme and it’s never been more pertinent than in this debate - “ Women - ask for what you want and be prepared to get it “ This government is not planning for Pensions Choice it’s imposing future pensions parity.

Vicky moved Emergency Motion 2 – Western Sahara.

Sisters, much has happened throughout the world since I last stood at this conference and spoke on the issue of the Western Sahara, it was in fact 2001. I wish that I could report that much has changed there since then – unfortunately I cannot.

A majority of the Saharawi people continue to live as refugees, where women, children and the elderly make up 80% of the population. Living in 4 large tented communities 200,000 Saharwi refugees have been struggling to survive in one of the most inhospitable desert environments in the world, where temperatures soar above 130 degrees F in the summer and plummets to below 0 degrees in the winter. Flash floods, violent sirocco winds and locust invasions wreak havoc and devastation.

Sisters, for decades now, the Saharawi people have been denied the right to self-determination. This desert people formerly lived under Spanish rule for 90 years, but in 1966 the United Nations General Assembly began calling for the right of the Saharwi people to exercise self-determination by a referendum in Western Sahara. Instead of fulfilling these historic rights, in 1975, the Saharwi people experienced the Moroccan invasion of their homeland in North West Africa, beginning 3 decades of oppressive rule, and the cultural genocide of a nation.

The Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara resulted in the division of the Saharwi population – those who live under Moroccan rule - and those who live in the camps run by the Polisario Front.

This division is reinforced by a Moroccan built defensive wall ( ring any bells!! ) stretching 1,690 miles, fortified by 10 million land mines and staffed by 100,000 soldiers.

In 1991, after 16 years of war, both Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed to allow the UN to broker a cease-fire in order to hold a self-determination referendum for the Saharawi’s by early 1992, in that they would choose between independence – or, integration with Morocco.

Every independent commentator forecast that there would be an overwhelming vote for independence – the reason why the Moroccan Regime has blocked the whole process. They refuse to co-operate with the letter and spirit of the referendum process – and as a result there is no agreed register of electors and no agreement on the rights of the refugees. Now in defiance of UN resolutions, the King of Morocco has – in his regal way – pronounced on the issue of Western Sahara on 16th January this year, that neither he, or the Moroccan people will ever agree to give up sovereignty in Western Sahara.

What if Sadam Hussein had said this in relation to Kuwait or Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and, what have the International Community done to enforce it’s policy? Very little in fact – no real pressure on Morocco to abide by the Rule of Law.

The Western Sahara is rich in minerals and it serves the interests of the rich and powerful in Morocco to deploy 100,000 troops to militarily defend the ‘ Politically Indefensible ‘. Sisters, the Western Sahara is Africa’s last colony, it’s people are living in poverty and oppression, with the majority in Refugee Camps.

We need to take action now!! We urge all affiliated unions to do what they can to redouble efforts to end Moroccan tyranny. The UK Government can be a force for progress at G8 level, where we hold the chair this year and at EU level, in trade agreements with Morocco.

We can make a difference Sisters. Lets press Government to put pressure on Morocco, lets highlight the plight of the Saharwi people to our members, our MP’s – in fact anyone who will listen. Get your unions to support the “ Sandblast “ Campaign – financially and with member involvement. Next year is the 30th anniversary of the occupation. Lets mark it with action not words.

Staci spoke in support of Emergency Motion 3 – Abortion Rights.

The Women’s right to choose is one of the most fundamental rights we have as women. The right – within legal timescales – to have absolute control over our own bodies, our own minds and our own future.

The challenges and pressure facing women at the most vulnerable time in their whole existence cannot and will not be assisted by the increase in US opposition and staunch ‘ Christian Fundamentalism ‘ all dressed up to look pretty. “ The Global Gag “.
Sisters, the FBU Women’s Committee took this motion to our own Union’s Annual Conference last year, this is now FBU Policy for all our members. Sisters, get your own branches, committees and unions to affiliate, donate, promote ‘ Abortion Rights ‘. Keep Women’s choices their own!!

One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime.

10% of GP’s declare themselves conscientious objectors.

less than 1% of abortions are carried out after 22 weeks.

But if you, any of you, sisters for whatever reasons –

are one of those 1 in 3 women?

have an unsympathetic GP?

is time running out for you?

You need, you deserve, and we will preserve the campaign to defend and extend abortion rights.

Jo Winrow-Jones spoke at the Pleniary Session -

Jo was asked to speak about the problems, both past and present in union membership, particularly women. Jo says, FBU members join on first day in the job in groups of new trainees, usually 2 groups, either firefighters ( predominantly white men ) and Emergency Fire Control Staff ( predominantly women ). Out of 53,000 members, there are only 2,500 women, 1,300 Women Firefighters and 1,200 Emergency Fire Control Staff. Emergency Control Staff have had an EC member for over 25 years, but there were barriers to their involvement eg., overworked, understaffed, no TU leave, no childcare provisions, ( that is something that our Women’s

Committee has changed and cascaded down ), stereotyped in women’s role in workplace, not encouraged to venture out, undervalued / demoralized.

When women ( wholetime ) firefighters started joining in numbers, they held informal meetings to discuss women’s issues, which they had discovered were not always being dealt with. Formal structures of equality sections agreed in 1998. Brigade, Regional and National Offices then had women reps. 2002 - Women got their own EC member to vote for their issues and 2003 – 3 Resolutions were taken to FBU Annual Conference by Women’s Committee.

Our Committee has 15 women relying on TU leave, our initial focus – justifying our own existence within our own union.
Last year we revisited our agenda, we acknowledged that in focusing on being high profile, we had little time left to devote to our women members. This had to change!!

We have all the usual problems, inactivity, apathy, thatcher’s children, political climate, coupled with women not putting heads above the parapet in our trade, as much as we’d like them to – yes - that means you!!

Women blend in, deny being women, tolerate appalling conditions, even argue against the existence of a women’s committee. Those being bullied, are being bullied at the hands of FBU members, few women’s rep’s in mainstream – encourage other women to become branch officials, and they seem to get more credibility and support when they are working for women’s committee. Don’t get bogged down in women attending meetings, focus on doing stuff that women members can see is directly of benefit to them. Eg., facilities audit – important issue – directly affects them – questionnaires require their participation – excellent response. We’ve made a commitment to progress this issue any way we can.

To sum up –

Consider why women don’t join or become active.

Be honest how your own union may contribute to this.

Active feminism can sometimes be intimidating and make you feel inadequate.

Is you union structure inclusive.

What can you do to make women see that the union will make a difference to them – actually achieve an improvement in their working conditions.

Have a very long term plan, realistically women won’t get involved overnight, don’t take it personally when they don’t.

Don’t send men to recruit new women members.

Provide childcare when you expect women to attend and finally – Be sisterly to each other, why get involved if existing active women are bitchy.

Sally then had the honour and responsibility to move the vote of thanks by congratulating everyone from the chair of this year’s conference, the TUC Women’s Committee all the guests, visitors, delegates, stall holders who all contributed to a very successful conference and finally to the staff of the Spa in Scarborough without whom this event could not have taken place.

© Fire Brigades Union
Bradley House, 68 Coombe Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7AE
Published by Fire Brigades Union National Women's Committee