AMWU officials from across the country have spent three days working on an agenda to raise women’s issues and grow female membership and activism in the union.

Twenty six of the AMWU’s female officials, officers and delegates met in Melbourne last week to discuss ways in which the AMWU could be more inclusive of women and improve women’s participation at different levels of the union.

Sheryl Vine, from the union’s organising unit in NSW, said that more input and activism needed to be encouraged amongst women members in order to address and act on particular concerns of women.

“Pay equity, childcare, part time work, casual labour – these are issues that are central to women’s employment and in a number of instances, workplaces have not dealt with these issues. They are still stuck in the past.

“To go forward, we are encouraging more women to join the union, get active and make changes that will be of benefit to them.”

Delegate, Susie Clayton, from South Australia said the experience of sharing other women’s perspectives had been invaluable.

“In my experience in the industry, women have the same industrial issues as men, but also particular issues that are relevant to women. Those issues need to be taken seriously and dealt with as union business.

“I look forward to implementing what I’ve learned on the course in my workplace.”

Queensland Industrial Officer, Shannon Fentiman, said that recruiting more women into the AMWU would require women in leadership positions to act as role models and mentors.

“The strategies that we have learnt from each other here provide a foundation for empowering women in the union and increasing women members.”

National Secretary, Dave Oliver, said the conference was part of the union’s commitment to all sectors of the diverse workforce in manufacturing, of which women were obviously a significant part.

“We must support the leadership potential of all the women employed in the union so that we can succeed in being truly representative of the workforce,” he said.