Women ’ s health at work is a UNISON priority says conference

Women’s health at work was a key focus of UNISON’s national women’s conference, held in Brighton last week. Delegates passed motions with a specific focus on reproductive health, including one that called on the union to investigate and report on the needs of women workers in relation to endometriosis, menopause and menstruation. Another motion called on the union to campaign for paid leave for pregnancy loss. During the debate, several speakers shared their experiences at work after suffering miscarriages. One delegate described her line manager as saying to her: “Why are you crying? It wasn’t a real baby, just cells”. Conference also passed a motion on Black women’s maternity care, which urged UNISON to work closely with Maternity Action to improve and protect maternity care for Black women, who are five times more likely to die in childbirth or shortly afterwards than white women, and at a 40% increased risk of experiencing a miscarriage. Racism in healthcare was a key feature of the speech delivered by Abena Oppong-Asare MP (pictured above), the shadow minister for women’s health and mental health, on the final day of conference. Ms Oppong-Asare, the Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead, was previously a UNISON workplace steward and former women’s officer for the Greater London Authority. She told delegates: “Women of colour face racism in health services. As staff within the NHS, women of colour face racism. As patients, we face racism”. She went ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News 2024 women's conference Menopause Source Type: news