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, 31 May 2012

WOMEN BEAR BRUNT OF ‘GROSSLY UNFAIR’ CUTS

·        Female unemployment hits 20 year high
·        Unemployment amongst women in Wales rises nearly twice as fast as figure for population as whole

TRADE unions in Wales have reacted angrily to the disproportionate impact unemployment is having on women in Wales. Stark statistics show that compared with last year, the number of unemployed people in Wales rose by 17.8% while the same figure for women stands at 34.4%.

The Wales TUC today labelled the development as ‘grossly unfair’ and a shameful indictment on the Coalition Government’s failing austerity agenda. As female unemployment has reaches a twenty year high, UNISON Cymru has also warned that women are set to keep losing out as the public sector faces yet more cuts.

Wales TUC General Secretary Martin Mansfield said:
“These figures are solid proof that the cuts are hitting women hardest.

“How can it be fair that unemployment has risen twice as much for women than society as a whole? It’s a shameful indictment on a UK Government that is happy watch decades of social progress roll back whilst sitting on its hands.

“This will lead to more poverty and inequality which is why unions are fighting for a 'future that works' with jobs and decent services for all”
Win Wearmouth, UNISON Cymru/Wales Deputy Convenor, said:

“We know that women are suffering disproportionately as a result of the recession and the attack on the welfare state from the UK Tory-led government.

“Women make up around 65% of the public sector workforce, so it is easy to see that women are at higher risk of losing their jobs when it comes to the reduction of the public services.

“Furthermore, the impacts of public service cuts are going to be felt more deeply by women. Women typically use more state services and benefits than men for a variety of reasons, including pregnancy and maternity needs, and the fact that women are more likely to be lone parents.

“We can see from the disproportionate rise of unemployed women in Wales that women are fast becoming the casualties of the recession.

“This is not to say that other people within our communities aren’t suffering too, but the reality is clear, women are bearing the brunt of the Westminster Government’s viscous austerity measures.

“I have very real concerns, on the behalf of women in all of our communities, that the clock is being turned back on women’s equality.”
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1 comment:

  1. Steph Davies26 July 2012 at 00:10

    I have first hand experience that women are suffering due to the cuts. Following an Admin Review in my employer, more than half of the staff previously employed have found themselves redeployed and in other posts, whereas some took the opportunity for voluntary redundancy. The majority of those affected were women and part time workers, they have now moved into positions which are not what they applied to do in the first place, and the levels of stress have been very high. It is upsetting to see women workers decimated in this matter.

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