National Official, Annoesjka Valent, reflects on her time at this year’s TUC Women’s Conference.
Resist, Persist, Deliver. That was the theme of this year’s TUC Women’s Conference. The TUC, Trades Union Congress, is the overarching body for trade unions in the UK. It fitted in well with the overall theme of International Women’s Day 2025 of Accelerate Action.
Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace and violence against women and girls
Conference welcomed the steps made towards tackling sexual harassment at work but acknowledged that there was still quite a way to go. The Worker Protection Act introduced a new proactive obligation on employers to take preventative steps to eliminate workplace sexual harassment but significant work is to be done to make what has been introduced effective.
The International Panel debate on Wednesday afternoon focused on tackling misogyny, sexism and the rise of the far-right. Delegates heard from trade unionists in the US since Trump’s election, and Argentina since Milei’s election, both administrations shockingly brandishing chainsaws in the media to symbolise their plans for savage cuts in public spending. Seven EU states also now have far-right parties in Government. The rise of the far-right across the globe must be of real concern for female trade unionists as old-fashioned views are setting back in, such as the ethos of ‘a woman’s place is in the home’, women being openly mocked again in the workplace, and important rights such as abortion being under constant attack.
Conference also noted from the 2022 England and Wales Crime Survey data that 7.9 million adults have been victims of a sexual crime since they turned 16 and 2 million of those have been victims of rape. But at present only two per cent of rape cases lead to charges.
An FDA survey of Crown Prosecution Service staff, including over 100 RASSO (Rape And Serious Sexual Offences) lawyers, concluded that inadequate staffing levels and increased workload are major factors in the poor state of the system and Conference voted for the TUC Women’s Committee to commit to: campaign for a single VAWG and RASSO prevention strategy, including additional and sustained funding for the justice system and its RASSO specialists; work with trade unions on policies to provide additional support for victims through union and employer action; and coordinate intersectional research with affiliate trade unions on the prevalence of rape and assaults for different groups of women. You can read the FDA_CPSreport
The Panel Debate on Thursday morning further discussed the ground-breaking report of the TUC Black Women and Sexual Harassment Advisory Group highlighting the intersecting nature of race/gender on Black women in the workplace. You can read this report BWSHReport
Decriminalisation of sex work
A debate delegates were also very keenly waiting for was on decriminalisation of sex work (Motions 8 and 9 – see link to Motions Booklet below). Rosa, from the Sex Workers’ Union, a branch of the BFAWU (Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union), spoke about the need for full decriminalisation, from her own experience. She told Conference that sex workers were increasingly finding their own voice and that it was time to no longer talk about this and about them as if they were not in the room; “we are human beings also”, she said.
Some opponents were in favour of the Nordic Model, which decriminalises selling sex but makes buying sex a criminal offence, however Rosa and others explained, that, in countries, where this was introduced, it was implemented on top of existing legislation (so not actually fully decriminalising sex work), was introduced without consultation with sex workers (who are not in favour of this model) and effectively had increased the risk of harm to sex workers. They also explained that removing the threat of self-incrimination with proper legal protections would facilitate more amicable relationships with law enforcement, social workers and other public bodies. It would allow them to better able to report abuses or crimes committed against them and able to cooperate with prosecutions of those responsible for example in human trafficking. Proper legal protections would enable them also to fight against exploitative working practices and unsafe working conditions. One delegate pointed out that criminalising sex workers or their clients does nothing to address the poverty, homelessness and the cost-of-living crisis that had pushed so many more women, particularly mothers, into sex work. Full decriminalisation would also mean that if a sex worker decides to leave the industry, they are far less likely to have a criminal record which currently holds them back from various job opportunities, or force them to continue to stay in an industry they no longer choose to work in.
As Napo has no policy on this matter, we abstained in this vote. The motions were lost; however, the many abstentions showed a need and willingness for more discussion around this and we should have the debate in our union also.
Women’s Health & Safety
Women’s health and safety motions on the agenda discussed a range of topics with a focus on promoting better Black maternal health outcomes. Delegates heard that maternal mortality rates are more than four times higher for Black Women and some bravely shared very personal and deeply traumatic experiences such as family members lost and of having experienced stillbirth. Conference also voted to raise more awareness around pregnancy loss and the need for policies to be put in place and/or to be reviewed including special leave provision.
Discussing Menopause, the continued lack of understanding and stigma, despite some improvement, was deplored, as well as the fact that it is still not classed as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act. One delegate pointed out from research that suicide rates for women aged between 45 and 54 (the most common age group for perimenopause and menopause) had risen by 6% in the past 20 years, indicating that menopause may be a pivotal factor. Research suggests that menopausal women often still have their symptoms dismissed or misdiagnosed, causing millions to cope alone with exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and other related symptoms. Conference voted for unions to continue to: equip reps to challenge capability procedures used inappropriately, build awareness of discrimination patterns faced by women in this age group, and bargain for monitoring those on capability procedures by age, ethnicity and gender; highlight the value of workplace reps in supporting menopausal women facing workplace issues; and campaign for (and/or review) effective workplace policies on menopause, to improve women’s access to adjustments to working practices, including reasonable adjustments and flexible working.
Week commencing 17th March is TUC ‘Workplace Toilet Inspection Week’ and the lack of toilet facilities and rest breaks was also discussed. A member of the POA union spoke about members menstruating not being able to bring their bags onto the wings and their campaign in prisons for period products to be made available. Management argued against this for security reasons but the delegate told us they replied to management they had never heard of anyone being attacked with a sanitary pad! Toxic Shock Syndrome (can occur by not replacing tampons or menstrual cups often enough), though rare, is still highly dangerous and potentially life-threatening. We also heard of female bus drivers frequently dehydrating themselves, deliberately not drinking enough water, out of fear of having to go to the toilet during their shifts. Could this be recognisable for some Napo members, perhaps such as in Unpaid Work, where in incident logs, we have seen staff reporting to having to buy and wear ‘Shewees’ to manage to get through the working day because there are no toilets at a tool store?
Other topics discussed
Besides more ‘big debates’ around gender equality, ranging from strengthening employment rights, tackling the ongoing gender pay gap and for a campaign to push the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap, there were motions brought on topics you may not be familiar with.
One such being about the ‘Canary Girls’. These were women and young girls working in munitions’ factories during the World Wars and the toxic fumes and substances that needed to be handled in the factories turned their and their babies’ skins yellow, hence the name. Many also lost their lives in explosions in the factories, yet every day they kept turning up for this work. This example shows, as one delegate put it, how women can often still be ignored and written or kept out of history; they may not have been fighting on the frontline but were still crucial to victory. Conference therefore voted to ask all TUC affiliated unions for donations so that an official memorial can be erected for these brave women.
In closing the conference, TUC President Mark Dickinson spoke about the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the longest squeeze on living standards in two centuries with populists and extremists waiting in the wings and that women were absolutely on the frontline of this economic and social turbulence. He spoke about the fact there is now a Labour Government in power and with the Employment Rights Bill can deliver the reforms so desperately needed, however this was met with hushed murmurings from the floor, indicating many women’s feelings over the past couple of days that the Labour Government must deliver more for women.
Besides the main debates on motions there were also a wide range of interesting fringe meetings and workshops to choose from.
Conference documents
You can read all the motions that were discussed TUC Women’s Conference 2025 Final Agenda
You can read the report of the TUC Women’s Committee TUC Womens Committee report to Conference 2025
As with recent Napo AGMs, there were a lot of first-time attendees and first-time speakers also, which was really encouraging to see. You will definitely come away invigorated having spent a couple of days with sisters from other unions, learning from each other’s experiences as well as realising there is much in common and to fight for together and in solidarity with each other.
Napo is entitled to 2 delegates each year. Carole Doherty, National Vice-Chair, attended this year along with Annoesjka Valent, National Official. Nominations for next year’s Conference will go out around September/October and if you would like more information if you are thinking of putting in a nomination for this, please get in touch with Annoesjka at avalent@napo.org.uk
Last but not least…
The next Women in Napo meeting is lunchtime on Wednesday 2nd April
Details for this will follow soon, but please put the date in your diary now if you hadn’t already done so.
