TUC president Steve Gillan addressed the union body’s women’s conference on its first day today, urging male trade unionists to speak out and condemn violence against women.

Mr Gillan highlighted how women are on the front lines of political uncertainty and turmoil.

“Britain may be one of the richest countries in the world, but we are also one of the most unequal,” said Mr Gillan, who is also general secretary of the Prison Officers Association.

“If you’re a woman, you’re more likely to be on low pay, more likely to be in insecure work and more likely to be on the receiving end of exploitation. But less likely, of course, to have a decent pension.”

He praised the Employment Rights Act, but added: “We need to go further by delivering the rest of the Make Work Pay agenda, by reversing privatisation and insourcing jobs done by low-paid women and migrant workers.

“[Go further] by providing the stronger rights for carers that are the bedrock of any civilised society, by improving social security for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, by introducing new taxes on obscene bank profits and extreme wealth and by further empowering unions.

“That includes restoring the fundamental basic right to strike for workers in the prison service.

“And last, not least, by investing in all our public services.”

He said he was proud of his union’s women members, who “sometimes pay a desperately high price” for working in prisons and urged trade unions to “sweep our own stables” to address misogyny, sexual harassment and racism in the movement.

“It’s not just for women to fight for those issues,” he said. “It’s for men to also speak out and condemn it.

“We really are stronger when together and do not let anyone divide us.”