Where’s the ladies’ loos?
Women workers are still struggling for access to toilets a major new Unite survey has revealed. Of course, this comes as no surprise to any of Unite’s construction members, male or female, as the union has been campaigning on toilet dignity as an industrial issue across the board.
But for this Unite national survey over 12,000 women responded, revealing 14 per cent only sometimes or occasionally have access to toilets at work. A shocking one per cent said they never have access to a toilet in the workplace.
Unite is building on the survey to identify specific employers who are failing in their legal duty to provide clean and accessible toilets and hold them to account.
Asked about whether toilets are clean with hot and cold running water, soap and toilet paper, 17 per cent said occasionally or sometimes and two per cent said never. Worst sectors for access to toilets were buses and civil air transport. Nearly half of female bus workers (44 per cent) reported only sometimes or occasionally having access to a toilet. Four per cent said they never have access to a toilet.
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Access to clean and properly stocked toilets was a serious issue for civil air transport workers as well, with 27 per cent reporting they only sometimes or occasionally have access to them. Four per cent said they never do.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “It is shameful that so many female workers still do not have decent toilets within the workplace. This is a very serious industrial issue.”
Unite national equalities officer Alison Spencer-Scragg said, “It is a legal requirement for employers to provide accessible and clean toilets, including sanitary bins, yet this survey shows that many are in contravention of the law. The fact that so many women are being left without toilet dignity at work is a national disgrace. Unite will challenge it in every workplace it is found to be occurring.”
Looking for the loo? Are you a female construction worker? Is this
affecting you? Let us know. Contact us in confidence
amanda.campbell@
unitetheunion.org
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