The Unions Tasmania Women's Committee is made up of women from Unions affiliated with Unions Tasmania and is convened by Unions Tasmania President Roz Madsen.  Each affiliated union may nominate 2 formal representatives to participate in the Committee.  The Committee meets monthly at Unions Tasmania.

* The goals of this Committee are to:

• Raise issues relevant to women workers in Tasmania, nationally and internationally.
• To encourage the participation of women in the union movement.
• Co-ordinate and participate in projects of particular interest to women workers.
• Aim to ensure that the activities/strategies and work of Unions Tasmania incorporates women and issues relevant to them.
• Build mutually beneficial networks with women unionists and women's groups.
• Recognise and celebrate women's achievements.
• Achieve positive industrial and social outcomes for women via an integrated campaign approach.

Each year the Women's Committee organises an event for International Women's Day, is involved in the Mother's Day Classic and runs the Anna Stewart Program (an education program for women).

For more information contact Janette Price:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Over 60 community members from across Southern Tasmania came together at a morning tea held by Unions Tasmania in partnership with Zonta on 25th November 2011.

The event was held to raise awareness and important funds for White Ribbon in its campaign to prevent violence against women in our community and encourage others to do the same.

Amongst those that made the oath: "I swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women," were:
The Hon. David O'Byrne MP
Graeme Sturges MP
The Hon. Will Hodgman, Leader of the Opposition
Lord Mayor Damon Thomas
Secretary of Unions Tasmania, Kevin Harkins
Chief Officer Mike Brown, Tas Fire Service
Neil Cassidy, CEO, Tasplan
John Short, Secretary, AMWU
Ansumana Koroma, DPAC
Tom Lynch, Secretary, CPSU SPSFT
Kelvin  Michael, President, NTEU

"One in three Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime," says Unions Tasmania Secretary Kevin Harkins. "This could be your mother, sister, daughter or friend. So by supporting White Ribbon Day you will be joining us on the path of prevention and change."

For more information visit:  www.whiteribbon.org.au

Equal Pay Day is an annual event highlighting the serious issue of gender pay inequity. Equal Pay Day was initiated by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workforce Agency (EOWA) in 2008.

1 September is a date chosen for its significance as marking the additional time after the close of the financial year (63 days) that women have to work to match men's earnings in that financial year. This calculation is based on ABS average full-time weekly earnings data that found that Australian women earn 17.2% less than men earn in a year. 

Attachments:

File	File size
EOWA Key Messages for Equal Pay Day 2011.pdf	20 Kb
EOWA OP-ED for Equal Pay Day 2011.pdf	22 Kb
EPD 2011 CEO Letter.pdf	18 Kb
Equal Pay Alliance flier 2011.pdf	586 Kb

A report produced by the University of Tasmania, and commissioned by Unions Tasmania was launched on International Women's Day 2011.

Attachments:

File	File size
Media Briefing Workforce Participation_Mar11.pdf	187 Kb
Workforce Participation Research Data_Mar11.pdf	3056 Kb
Workforce Participation Research Report_Mar11.pdf	862 Kb

ARE YOU OK WITH THAT? 
Women do 70% of the world's work, yet receive 10% of the world's income and own just 1% of the means of production. 
One in four Australian women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. 
On average Tasmanian women working full time get $140.10 a week less than men. 
Domestic violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness for women aged 15 to 44. 

ARE YOU OK WITH THAT? 
A postcard campaign that asks these questions has been launched by the Minister for Health, Michelle O'Byrne, on 8 March 2011, to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. 
The Are You OK With That? campaign was developed in partnership with the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Women's Legal Service, Yemaya Women's Support Service, Unions Tasmania and the Tasmanian Women's Health Program, Department of Health and Human Services Tasmania, and highlights the staggering rates of violence and inequities experienced by women in Australia and around the world.

Attachments:

File	File size
IWD Project_Are You OK With That_8Mar11.pdf	120 Kb

To mark Equal Pay Day 2010 the Unions Tasmania Women's Committee organised a brunch for fifty people at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hobart with Tasmania's new Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks as guest speaker.

Equal Pay Day marks the date on which women's annual earnings reach the same as men's in the previous financial year. The unacceptable pay gap between Australian women and men is widening with full-time working women earning 18% less than men in the last financial year.

Read more: Equal Pay Day - A Call for Action on Pay Equity in Tasmania

Anna Stewart Memorial Project

In April 1983, Anna Stewart, a long time campaigner for women's rights, and prominent union official, died tragically. The Anna Stewart Memorial Project was established as an annual work experience program aimed at increasing womens' active union involvement and to increase the union movement's acceptance and understanding of women members. 

If you are a woman in the union movement and would like to participate in the program, please contact your union and ask them to nominate you for the program.

More photos of the banner launch

Attachments:

File	File size
Womens_Banner_Brochure.pdf	1634 Kb