AMID the biggest wave of industrial action by women workers perhaps in history, our international wpmen’s day event will celebrate the vital contributions that women make in our unions and our communities.

Many work in traditionally undervalued, underpaid but absolutely essential roles. If the Covid lockdowns showed us anything, it was that the workers we most rely upon are mainly in roles regarded as women’s work. Carers, cleaners, cooks, nurses and healthcare staff, to name but a few. 

As trade unionists we hoped that a recognition of this would see those jobs valued more and paid better. How wrong we were. The Thursday evenings “clapping for carers” have been long forgotten as we revert to business as usual.

Below inflation wage rises and working all the hours as services struggle to cope with a lack of staff (often through sickness and stress). Bad for workers – bad for the many vulnerable people for whom these workers deliver services.

But things have changed. More and more women are joining a trade union. More and more are finding a voice and talking about the issues that are important to them.

I attended the STUC Women’s Conference towards the end of last year. I love women’s conferences – an opportunity for women to share their concerns in a safe space.

I always feel uplifted by the progress we have made. Hearing women speak up about their lives and their challenges is always inspiring.

Gone are the days when periods and the menopause were things to be spoken about in hushed tones, if at all; when they were seen as being somehow shameful – a bit dirty even.

Now women are talking from their own experiences of how period pains, excessive bleeding, tiredness and an inability to concentrate affects their everyday working lives. How the symptoms many experience going through the menopause brings everyday challenges to so many women and how they are expected just to get on with it.

And I look back and wonder why we put up with this for so long without demanding proper measures at our work to recognise and support us to deal with these challenges.

Even simple things like being given enough work uniforms to be able to change them after hot flushes or flooding with periods. Which employer considers that?

But with more and more women speaking up and joining unions, menopause policies are being negotiated in many workplaces. There are calls for other action too to support women with their periods.

As more and more women become unionised, equalities groups within unions like my own are becoming more powerful, highlighting the disproportionate effects on women of poverty and low pay; demanding decent pay rises and an end to the gender pay gap. And recognising that if you are a woman and also black, or disabled, or young, or old, or LGBT+, the disadvantage is multiplied.

Women experience the same class issues as men. But working-class women are additionally exploited and discriminated against in the workplace because they are women. Women enter the labour force disadvantaged because of their role as mothers and carers and they pay the price.

Trade unions, political parties of the left and labour movements have not always been good at prioritising the concerns of working-class women. Trade union women’s committees have worked hard to change that. 

Austerity and welfare reform are creating even greater inequality between women and men. Violence against women is increasing. While we need the support of male allies, women also need a space to talk with other women and to share their experiences and seek solutions within a safe space that empowers us to action.

That’s why, in Scotland, a group of women trade union activists have come together under the banner of Morning Star Readers and Supporters, to set up a series of webinars for women activists, to look at issues directly relevant to women.

The aim is to encourage the engagement of more women with the Morning Star, as readers, supporters and contributors to the paper, and also to ensure that women’s experiences and priorities are included in the Star and the regular Star events in Scotland.

We kick off this year’s series of webinars on March 9 with a focus on the disproportionate impact of the cost of living crisis on women and their children; the impact of low pay in women’s work and the gender pay gap; and the effect on children’s mental wellbeing.

We have other events planned throughout the year. We will advertise them widely and we do hope that women reading this article will come along.

Although women’s conferences are hugely inspiring, they also highlight how much we still need to do to achieve true equality, and how much has changed little from my early days in the trade union movement.

However, as more and more women join unions and become active, and we see more and more women trade union leaders, you can’t help feeling that our time is coming.

It’s fitting that Glasgow has been chosen by Unison for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations – the city that saw a historic equal pay campaign, when more than 8,000 overwhelmingly low paid women in traditionally female jobs such as catering, cleaning and care, took successful strike action and won pay increases.

That shows what is possible when we stand together.