CONFERENCE

Women’s Conference

At the TUC Women’s Conference, NASUWT delegates called for action to tackle the growing sexualisation of girls and young women, which the Union believes is driving bullying, sexual harassment and violence against females. The NASUWT tabled a motion calling for action from the trade union movement to challenge the growing ‘sex object culture’ at the conference in Eastbourne.

The motion highlighted concern at the increasingly sexualised imagery and terminology that girls and young women are being exposed to and warned that this was reinforcing the notion of women as sexual objects. The result is an increase in sexualised bullying and harassment of female pupils and students in schools, the conference heard, with recent figures from the NASUWT suggesting that more than one in six female teachers has suffered sexist abuse at work. The motion welcomed the Government’s review into the sexualisation of girls and young women, which is considering the ways in which young people can be protected from possible harm. The NASUWT urged the TUC to lead a coalition to publicise the findings of the review and press for change. A second motion moved by the NASUWT on older workers was also passed unanimously.

The motion called for an end to age discrimination in the workplace, with the creation of flexible working rights for older workers and better retirement strategies to enable workers to have more control over the end of their working lives. More research into the discrimination faced by older workers is necessary to fully understand the scale of the issue, the NASUWT argued, along with increased flexibility for older employees to continue at work if they choose. The NASUWT also used the conference to continue its fight against racism, by urging delegates to support the Union’s campaign to bar members of racist and fascist organisation from teaching or serving on school governing bodies.


TUC Equality Conferences

Too many black and minority ethnic (BME) workers still face a ‘concrete ceiling’ when trying to progress up their career ladder, the NASUWT has warned.

A call for greater action from the Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to tackle the continuing institutional racism ingrained in many workplaces was tabled by the Union at last month’s TUC Black Workers’ Conference. The NASUWT’s motion, which was passed by Conference, highlighted the

findings of the Union’s recent research into the career experiences of black and minority ethnic teachers. It found that these teachers face considerable barriers in progressing into leadership roles and that racism is still very much part of the institutional culture in many schools. The motion reflected the recommendation in the report for high quality monitoring and enforcement action to be introduced to track the experiences of BME workers and tackle those employers who fail to comply with the statutory duty to promote race equality. The NASUWT research into the leadership aspirations and careers of BME teachers is available at www.nasuwt.org.uk/MemberSupport/Member Groups/BlackMembers/BMEresearch.


DISABILITY CONFERENCE

More support and protection for workers with mental health conditions is needed, NASUWT delegates to the TUC Disability Conference have urged.

The Union tabled a motion on mental health citing independent research showing that over a third of teachers taking early retirement due to ill health in Scotland and nearly half of those in England record mental disorders as the reason. The NASUWT supports members affected by

mental ill health, but delegates told the Conference that much more needs to be done. Although the Government is taking steps to

support workers with mental health conditions find and remain in employment, more funding and resources are needed to provide adequate levels of assistance, delegates heard. The motion called on the TUC to campaign to end the stigma attached to mental ill health and tackle the effects of ignorance, including bullying, harassment and unsafe working conditions. The NASUWT Wellbeing at Work tool, which allows members to check their stress levels and take practical steps to improve their wellbeing, can be found at www.nasuwt.org.uk under Information and Advice. Teaching Today reports on the findings of the NASUWT-commissioned study Teachers’ Mental Health, on pages 18-19. The full report can be downloaded at www.nasuwt.org.uk/MentalHealthReport.

www.nasuwt.org.uk