BRITAIN’S largest union started a three-day series of equality-promoting conferences yesterday with loud plaudits for a recent women-led victory against zero-hours contracts.

Unite’s equalities conferences began with a focus on the plight of the nation’s women, with issues such as equal pay, their role in politics and violence carried out against them taking centre stage.

But no speech raised more emotion than London’s Greenwich Unite assistant branch secretary Sara Kasab on her members’ struggle against their employer Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).

Ms Kasab told delegates how since GLL bought up Greenwich Library services all workers’ rights were “steadily eroded,” including permanent job security.

But with a “strong and united” campaign, which included strike action, employees won all of their demands and 22 new full- and part-time positions were filled.

Four in every five of Greenwich Library staff are women and Ms Kasab’s branch membership is 70 per cent female.

The triumphs over GLL’s proposed zero-hours contracts and increasing privatisation were not just a victory for the union, she told the audience. Above all, it meant a huge difference for the women in Greenwich Library who were most affected by precarious conditions and unreliable shift work.

Speaking to the Star after seeing her motion passed by a large majority, Ms Kasab said the response to the south London branch victory had been “fantastic.”

“One of the things that came out of it was that our members felt really empowered by (the victory),” she said.

“Before the strike we were so low the morale was just … I think we were just getting on with the job.

“We needed something to make everybody feel stronger again and to see that the service that we provide is worth it.

“It’s not about branding, it’s about people.”

Through Ms Kasab’s motion, Unite committed itself to stand against for-profit companies like GLL and Serco, which “work like a private company, not like a local authority.”

It also pledged to name and shame GLL throughout the country as well as training local representatives from the company’s employees.

Unite Equalities will continue until Friday with the LGBT, disabled, and black and other minority ethnic sections of the union coming together.

The union’s general secretary Len McCluskey will address conference today.