CWU Women’s Conference Saturday 15th September 2012

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches





No. 309/’12
Ref: LR/DGN
Date: 30th April 2012


To: All Branches

Dear Colleague

CWU Women’s Conference
Saturday 15th September 2012

The CWU Women’s Advisory Committee has decided to hold this year’s Women’s Conference in Peterborough.

Conference Venue – Saturday 15th September 2012

The Conference will take place at The Bull Hotel, Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1RB

Social Event – Saturday 14th September 2012

All those attending the Conference are invited to a social event; details will be circulated nearer the time.

Accommodation – The Bull Hotel, Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1RB

It is important that Branches book places early at The Bull Hotel, as they will be holding a number of rooms on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

Booking arrangements are as follows:

Bookings can be made by calling 01733 561364 and quoting group booking reference 61511.

Accommodation rates: (preferential CWU rates for Friday and Saturday night only)

Bed and Breakfast @ £60.00 per room per night (Single Occupancy) and £70.00 (Double Occupancy)

{Rooms will be held at this rate until Friday 17th August 2012, after which time they will be released and the preferential rate may not be available}.

Crèche

If anyone requires a crèche, could you please let the Equal Opportunities Department know as quickly as possible and no later than Friday 17th August 2012, as the crèche assistants are on ‘standby’ dependent on the number of children who will be attending the Conference.




Prayer Room

Please let the Equal Opportunities Department know as quickly as possible and no later than Friday 17th August 2012, if anyone requires a prayer room, so that we can arrange a quiet room for this.

Signer Requests

If anyone needs a signer, please contact the Equal Opportunities Department as soon as possible and no later than Friday 17th August 2012. Please note: The request might not be acceded to if notification is received after this date.


Please note that a further LTB will be circulated from the SDGS Department in due course, which gives more information, including registration forms for the Conference and other disability requirements.

Any enquiries to the Equal Opportunities Department, email address: dgittens@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely


Linda Roy
Equality Officer

[Judgee]

Is there a CWU Mens conference then? Do we get one of our own?

[dvbuk55]

Is there a CWU Mens conference then? Do we get one of our own?

No! Which begs the question as to why women, who are now equal in the eyes of the law, require one. Is it yet another way to waste money gathered from ALL members, on a minority or should I say yet another minority.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Is there a CWU Mens conference then? Do we get one of our own?

No! Which begs the question as to why women, who are now equal in the eyes of the law, require one. Is it yet another way to waste money gathered from ALL members, on a minority or should I say yet another minority.

I personally have no problem with secondary conferences as they are not meant to replace the main conference they are extras. I think they benefit both the Union and the delegates themselves. One of the common complaints about the Union at branch level is that its an old boys club. Well if Women, Gays, Ethnic Groups and any other minority group can network at their own conference and learn from each others experiences and pass on information good luck to them. In a way we at RMC are doing the same things as they do, exchanging views, giving each other support and heping each other out and some on here a few years ago suggested POSTMAN get subsidised by the Union. Good luck to them.

[Judgee]

Ok TBT does that mean we can have a mens forum where we can all do some male bonding then?!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Ok TBT does that mean we can have a mens forum where we can all do some male bonding then?!

I thought you had visited the naughty room, it has an Annex you know.

[motherhubbard]

Attempts to close the pay gap between men and women appears to be "grinding to a halt", the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

Its wide-ranging 700-page report said women on average earned 16% less than men, widening to 27% for women aged 40.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11511714" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The eyes of the law mean nothing.
The reality is different. Without even starting on male employer's attitudes to women of child-bearing age.

So when you have suffered centuries of discrimination, you can have your own conference.
Until then......

[dvbuk55]

Attempts to close the pay gap between men and women appears to be "grinding to a halt", the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

Its wide-ranging 700-page report said women on average earned 16% less than men, widening to 27% for women aged 40.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11511714" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The eyes of the law mean nothing.
The reality is different. Without even starting on male employer's attitudes to women of child-bearing age.

So when you have suffered centuries of discrimination, you can have your own conference.
Until then......

Utter cr*p. Womens pay and conditions within the CWU are equal to men - and what exactly have centuries of discrimination got to do with the members of the CWU funding yet another conference?

Just as a matter of interest how many centuries have you personally suffered discrimination?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Attempts to close the pay gap between men and women appears to be "grinding to a halt", the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

Its wide-ranging 700-page report said women on average earned 16% less than men, widening to 27% for women aged 40.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11511714" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The eyes of the law mean nothing.
The reality is different. Without even starting on male employer's attitudes to women of child-bearing age.

So when you have suffered centuries of discrimination, you can have your own conference.
Until then......

Utter cr*p. Womens pay and conditions within the CWU are equal to men - and what exactly have centuries of discrimination got to do with the members of the CWU funding yet another conference?

Just as a matter of interest how many centuries have you personally suffered discrimination?

Correct - Womens pay and conditions are the same - but how did they get that way. By the Women of the CWU organising, protesting and informing.

Do you really believe there are there no other "women's" issues that need attention. Just do a search on here and 2 issues stand out. How Royal Mail deal with pregnancy of postwomen (there seems to be no single policy applied across the business on when they should stop delivery), and toilet issues on delivery.

Now me being a male I would find it embarrassing to discuss gender issues such as prostate problems within an overwhelming female audience.

Do I think there are specific female issues best dealt with by females - yes.
Do I think they are better served by minority conferences - Yes I do.
Do I think its money well spent - yes I do

Why because a substantial percentage of CWU members belong to one or more various minority groups and if we can engage and empower them by having specific conferences then perhaps we can improve overall representation. I think we need more female reps, a better mix of ethnicity, and a wider age range of full time officials and officers and the only way we can get that is to help bring them through. Separate conferences to allow them to organise and help each other.


As to ethnic conferences again I think they are needed - just look at the recent story from Blackburn on here. Racism still exists within Royal Mail, in some places it seems rampant and again the best people to organise and inform the general membership are those that are most likely to suffer it, and the best way they can do that is to network and meet each other why not at a special conference.

I guess we'll never agree on this issue but I think if there is a good underlying reason for separate conferences then they should continue.

[dvbuk55]

And do I care? No. The issues you speak of are NOT specific to the CWU and should not be pandered to - as a matter of interest more men die from prostate cancer so should that have a conference, more men go prematurely bald - hey lets have a conference, men die at an earlier age than women - hey ...............well you've guessed it. There are certain facts of life but they don't need a conference for it.

[motherhubbard]

- as a matter of interest more men die from prostate cancer

More men die from prostate cancer than what?
You appear to have missed off a bit of the sentence.......

And if you don't care, why bother posting in the thread?
It seems you are a bit upset because the nig nogs and the pakis have a conference.
The poofs and lezzers have a conference.
And the grumpy old men don't.
You come across as a bit of a bigot........
Not really in keeping with the spirit of trade unionism is it?

[dvbuk55]

- as a matter of interest more men die from prostate cancer

More men die from prostate cancer than what?
You appear to have missed off a bit of the sentence.......

And if you don't care, why bother posting in the thread?
It seems you are a bit upset because the nig nogs and the pakis have a conference.
The poofs and lezzers have a conference.
And the grumpy old men don't.
You come across as a bit of a bigot........
Not really in keeping with the spirit of trade unionism is it?

Now there's an idea and there may even be a pensioners conference - and these conferences have nothing to do with trade unionism either. There are plenty of organisations to cater for minorities of all descriptions but does the CWU need to as well. It's just another bandwagon to follow and a hollow drum to beat.

[motherhubbard]

The 2012 Retired Members conference will be taking place on Thursday, 19th January 2012 at the offices of the:

Birmingham District Amal branch
46-48 Summer Lane
Birmingham, B19 3TH

[motherhubbard]

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUmatchgirls.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course if they'd just stayed at home they wouldn't have got phossy jaw........

[Lounge Lizard]

- as a matter of interest more men die from prostate cancer

More men die from prostate cancer than what?
You appear to have missed off a bit of the sentence.......

And if you don't care, why bother posting in the thread?
It seems you are a bit upset because the nig nogs and the pakis have a conference.
The poofs and lezzers have a conference.
And the grumpy old men don't.
You come across as a bit of a bigot........
Not really in keeping with the spirit of trade unionism is it?

If you have to resort to language like 'nig nogs', 'pakis', 'poofs' and 'lezzers' then I think you've already lost the argument.