ILGA-Europe’s Survey & Consultation

Silvan AgiusILGA-Europe

29th January 2008

Information Gathering Background

1. Workshop during ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference (late October 2007) circa 40 participants gave their input

2. Survey circulated among ILGA-Europe’s member organizations (October/November 2007) 32 replies received from 22 European counties

How would you rate the awareness that discrimination is prohibited by EU and national employment anti-discrimination legislation?

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

in yo

ur co

untry

within

equali

ty bod

ies

amon

g em

ploye

rs

amon

g tra

de u

nion le

aders

amon

g tra

de u

nion m

embe

rs

at w

orkp

laces

Po

or

Ave

rag

e

G

oo

d

sexual orientation

gender identity

How easy or difficult is it to discuss discrimination on the ground of ...

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

in yo

ur co

untry

with e

quali

ty bod

ies

with e

mplo

yers

with tr

ade

union

leader

s

with tr

ade

union

members

in wor

kpla

ces

Po

or

A

vera

ge

G

oo

d

sexual orientation

gender identity

▲Some trade unions are very active – UNISON (UK), Ver.di (Germany) and other examples

▲Case of sexual orientation discrimination brought forward successfully –

LO (Denmark)

▲Some workplaces take active steps to prevent discrimination

Observations regarding sexual orientation

▼Anti-discrimination laws are not promoted

▼Poor awareness generally

▼No specific awareness campaigns are undertaken

▼Sanctions are not dissuasive enough

Positive Negative

Observations regarding gender identity

▼No awareness that transgender issues are covered by gender equality legislation

▼Issue disregarded altogether in many countries

▼Transgender people are sometimes obliged to use toilets for persons with disabilities !!

Positive Negative

▼ (None recorded)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

If yes, did you achieveany results?

Does yourorganisation take

active steps to workclosely with trade

unions?

NGO collaboration with trade unions

NA No Yes

Examples of good collaboration results

▲ LGBT training programme (inc. seminars & workshops)

provided by NGO to trade union officials ● Austria

▲ Equal Opportunities Code of Practice ● Bulgaria

▲ Collaboration between NGOs and trade unions with the assistance of EQUAL funding ● Finland & Slovenia ▲ Setting up of LGBT groups in trade unions ● Germany &

UK

▲ Collaboration regarding LGBT Pride events ● Portugal

0 5 10 15 20 25

Do trade unions thatoperate in your country

have a policy onequality?

including sexualorientation

including genderidentity

Have they contributedtowards a respectful

working environment forLGBT people?

Trade union policies

NA No Yes

Trade union policies

Trends that emerge from the questionnaire

▼ Some trades unions are narrow in their work and only concerned with wage collective bargaining without focusing on antidiscrimination issues

▼ LGBT issues are not mainstreamed in many trades unions and/or dealt with passively

▲ Some trades unions are doing a wonderful job in raising LGBT issues internally and externally

▲ Trades unions have a very important role to play

▲ Collaborations have been very fruitful

Recommendations for ETUC & ILGA-Europe:

▲ Facilitate and assist partnerships at national level

▲ Mainstreaming of LGBT issues in trades union strategies

▲ Pass on information to the membership base

▲ Wide promotion of the findings of this project

▲ Conduct further work together after the end of this project

Recommendations for national/regional trades unions and NGOs:

▲ Experience and information exchange (twinning)

▲ Trades unions-NGO partnerships

▲ Policies’ development and monitoring of implementation

▲ Cooperate on the setting up of LGBT groups within unions

▲ Further education of trades union members

Thank youwww.ilga-europe.org