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2010 ETUC 8th of March Survey

From membership to leadership…where do we stand?

Cinzia Sechi

11 March 2010, Luxembourg

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Political background

• ETUC political commitments towards a more balanced representation of women in decision making positions– Equality Plans (1999, 2003)– Mid term Review (2005)– Charter on Gender Mainstreaming (2007)– Framework of Actions on Gender Equality (2005)

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• Charter on Gender Mainstreaming• Annual monitoring of ETUC members’ gender

disaggregated data (membership and decision-making positions)

• Every year one specific focus2008: Pay gap2009: Work-life balance/childcare facilities2010: Women in trade unions’ leadership and collective bargaining

• Same methodology

ETUC 8th of March Survey

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• Replies from 55 national confederations (out of 82) from 30 EU countries– 3 PERC members (out of 20)– 4 EIF (out of 12)

• Number of contributions increased since 2008

• 27 national confederations did not take part in this year’s survey

• 20 have never replied since this exercise started

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Replies

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How many women in trade unions?

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Membership

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National confederations that replied represent + 49.600 million members, of which + 21.900 million are (44%)

2 Nordic unions recorded the highest rate of female members (UNIO-Norway 75,4 % and STTK-Finland 70%)

2 Turkish unions the lowest rate (HAK-IS 10%, TURK-IS 11%)

8 confederations reported more female than male members (EAKL-Estonia, LBAS, LDF, LPSK/LTUC Lithuania, YS-

Norway, TCO-Sweden, UNIO-Norway, STTK-Finland)

20 national confederations have a gender balanced membership (comprising between 45% and 51%)

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Membership

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32,59682833,41062332,80032532,581118

14,93445214,64362114,20106414,513474

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2006 2008 2009 2010

Mill

ions

Total membership Female membership

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Trade Unions with …• Presidents: 4 (out of 42)

– UATUC-Croatia, LO, SACO - Sweden, FNV-Netherland

• Vice Presidents: 24 (out of 71)– 13 unions position held jointly with men

• Secretary General: 8 (out of 39)– ABVV/FGTB-Belgium, LPSK/LTUC and LDF - Lithuania, LO and UNIO Norway,

AKAVA and STTK-Finland, TCO-Sweden

• Deputy Secretary General: 7 (out of 22)– ICTU-Ireland, CGIL-Italy, LCGB-Luxembourg UGT-Portugal held with a male

colleague – ELA-Spain, TCO-Sweden and TUC-UK: only a woman

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Leadership

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• TU policy departments usually held by– International/European, Equality/Women, Training/Education

• TU policy departments usually held by – Economics, Trade union action (i.e. organising and

recruitment), Legal affairs

• Balanced representation– H&S, Collective bargaining/Social dialogue

Environment/Sustainable development, Social policy, Employment, Press & Communication, Finance & Administration, International/European, Training/Education

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Leadership

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• 71% of confederations have a specific policy designed to increase the presence of women in their decision-making bodies

– For 1/3 of respondents: not a relevant issue

• Unions that deem having such a policy important:– Why (social democracy, women’s issues are promoted in TU agenda…)– How (trainings, research and surveys, action plans, positive actions, quota…)– Arguments used against (stereotypes, not a priority, financial shortages…)

• Most perceived barriers to women in TU leadership positions1. Lack of time due to the unequal sharing of family responsibilities 2. Preconceived, stereotyped ideas concerning the role of women leading to attempts to

dissuade them 3. Lack of a specific policy within the trade union organisation!

2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Leadership

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2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / TU as employers

• 34 national confederations took concrete measures in order to facilitate female employees in their activities

– Everyone can speak at meetings (64%); – Flexible working hours schemes for their employees (60%)– Recruitment of women for areas where they are under-represented (51%)– Regulating the timing of meetings (i.e. avoiding meetings at times that cause

problems for people with family responsibilities) (50%) – Code for the protection of dignity at work and the elimination of sexual

harassment in the workplace (49%)– Gender disaggregated data of the situation of their employees with regard to

employment, recruitment, promotion and wage (44%) – Regulating the frequency of meetings (41%) – Gender pay gap schemes (37%)– Limited working time (33%)

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2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Collective bargaining

• Instruments developed by trade unions to incorporate gender mainstreaming in collective bargaining

– Guidelines (60%)– Trainings

• trade union representatives to negotiate with a gender perspective (54%);

• female negotiators (48%) on gender issues;

• male negotiators (40%) on gender issues; – Ensure that women are present in negotiating teams (46%)

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2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Collective bargaining

• How the content of negotiations is usually affected by gender mainstreaming

– discussing the gender dimension of general issues in collective bargaining (77%)

– Finding out legislative instruments that deal with equality and that can be used during negotiations (71%)

– Adding issues to the collective bargaining agenda that are traditionally seen as women’s issues (71%)

– Collecting gender disaggregated facts and figures to be used during negotiation (50%)

– Finding out the opinions of female workers on the topics to be negotiated (36%).

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2010 ETUC 8th of March SurveyResults / Collective bargaining

• Main factors that limit the presence of women in collective bargaining units

– Lack of time of female trade unionists (60%) – Lack of a specific policy within the unions addressing the issue of women in

bargaining units (54%)– Discouragement or hostile reactions from male colleagues (40% )– Lack of specific knowledge of women in bargaining methods (23%)

• Arguments to ensure/improve women's’ presence in collective bargaining units

– Different experiences/point of view, social democracy, raise gender issues in CB agenda…

– For half of respondents: not relevant

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• Women still under represented in national confederations’ TU leadership positions– What next for ETUC? New policy instruments/measures?– Berlin workshop (29 September 2010)– Towards the Congress (Athens, May 2011)… and afterwards

• Collective bargaining: a mixed picture, but more can be done– ETUC Guidelines on mainstreaming gender equality in collective agreements?– Gender Mainstreaming within ETUC working methods

• Brochure / Publications /Awareness raising

• Results of 2101 8th of March Survey soon available on ETUC

website: http://www.etuc.org/r/1368

Conclusions & next steps

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THANK YOU!