Women@Work: Strong Unions Need Women

Do we need a women’s conference/education?

Yes. Many women in maritime industries are still the only women in their workplace or often the only woman on a shift.

Being a casual shift worker is difficult enough without feeling isolated and alone as well. Anyone can find it daunting to find themselves the odd one out, in this situation the support of a network of women can make all the difference.

Women's conference/education also gives an opportunity to investigate problems unique to women in the maritime industry and develop strategies to overcome these issues. At the New Zealand Women's Conference 2006 the following issues were raised and addressed: safety hazards created by women wearing men's PPE; female toilets with no lighting; female toilets being used and abused by male workers; sexual invitations to female workers by management; and gender based discrimination by the supervisors who allocate the work.

In examining gender-based discrimination, for example, we developed different strategies dependent on the reasons why a male work-supervisor was choosing only women for certain jobs. In areas such as bulk and general cargo handling some bosses are genuinely attempting to assist their women workers by giving them tasks such as clerking that are seen as less strenuous and dangerous. The decision is often justified by the supervisor by observing the quick and accurate work women accomplish in this area. While well intentioned, the boss may be unaware of the divisions and tensions he is causing within the workforce, especially if clerking attracts a higher pay rate.

What is not taken into account is an individual's need for variety and experience, in order to be eligible for promotion. In response to encountering this behaviour women developed strategies of slowly educating these well meaning supervisors about the larger picture created by this type of discrimination.

Without resolution strategies an unexperienced woman could easily escalate a situation like this leaving male colleagues baffled, supervisors angry and woman disillusioned.
Unions are the perfect place to learn the skills required to pursue a lengthy maritime career but with many women having no previous experience with unions it is vital that they be educated in what their union is all about and what it can do for them.

More women are needed in this industry to truly cure the issues of minority. If we are to increase the amount of women in our industry we are relying on the women we have to remain in the job and to encourage other women to join our ranks. For this to occur women must feel safe, comfortable, accepted and empowered in their workplaces, and in their union.

By Michelle Mackay

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