Welcome to Women in Unison - the blog for women to post their thoughts, feelings and experiences surrounding the cuts in public sector spending.

Women are being hit the hardest by the austerity measures being imposed by the UK Government, which is seeing the rollback of the welfare state. Women rely upon public services more than men and they also make up the majority of the workforce in the public sector, so it is clear that women will be disproportionately affected by decimation of public services.

Did you know...
Women make up 65% of the public sector workforce, so job cuts will hit women the hardest.

Women will pay for 72% of the changes in taxes, benefits and tax credits set out in the budget.

95% of women's organisation face funding cuts/funding crisis in the next year.

Cuts to carers allowance will disproportionately affect women: 58% of carers and 74% of current carers allowance clamaints are women.

73% of remaining positions in the public sector that are subject to a pay freeze are held by women.

What can you do?
Tell us your thoughts, feelings and experiences on this blog.
Talk to your friends, family, colleagues about these issues and how they affect you.
Write to your Welsh AM & MP.
Join UNISON.

For women, trade union membership is as relevant as ever. UNISON has almost one million women members - more than two thirds of our union. Regrettably, women have still not reached a position of workplace equality – women still earn a lot less than men and face sex discrimination and harassment at work. We also know that UNISON women members are under increasing pressure to juggle work and home commitments. Almost half of women work part-time and this is largely because so many have caring responsibilities outside of the workplace.

Gender equality is a fight worth fighting and UNISON will never give up.

Thursday, 3 May 2012

Did you know that the Government are thinking of reducing maternity leave to 18 weeks? 

Have a look at this campaign from Working Families...

Did you know that the Government are thinking of reducing maternity leave to 18 weeks?  We believe that six months matters for Mums to recover from birth and prepare to return to work.

Current law allows most women to return to work after two weeks, but the presumption is that women will take 52 weeks’ leave unless they tell employers they want to come back sooner.  Under potential Government plans, the presumption will be 18 weeks of leave after which you will have to negotiate with your employer. 

Working Families are campaigning for at minimum standard of 26 weeks (six months) of maternity leave for all women and want to know if six months matters/ed to you.

Whether you’re about to have a baby, are in the middle of maternity leave or you’re back at work, we would like to hear your stories.

What do you remember as the best bit of maternity leave?
When were you ready to organise childcare or negotiate working patterns? When did you start getting any sleep?
And most critically, would you have been ready to return to work after 18 weeks? 

If you believe that six months maternity leave matters for mums and babies, please help us:

1         Tell us your stories on Working Families FACEBOOK page here

Upload your pictures of your baby between 4 and 6 months and tell us      
            why six months mattered to you.

2         Take the NetMums survey this week here:     
www.surveymonkey.com/s/maternityleavesurvey

3         And spread the word by emailing this message to six more friends and ask them to tell us why six months mattered/s to them

Thanks for all your help and please do follow our campaign by ‘liking’ our facebook page

Working Families registered office:
1-3 Berry Street, London EC1V OAA
Tel: 020 7253 7243
Website: http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/
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