Get a Life – Get a union: TUC Equality Audit 2005
It’s a fact: people employed in workplaces with a trade union presence are likely to have a better work/life balance and face less discrimination at work than individuals in non-unionised workplaces. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) equality audit 2005 in UK shows that unions are working with employers to toughen up workplace procedures tackling racism, sexism, ageism and homophobia at work. Two-thirds of the 67 TUC-affiliated unions who responded to the survey (67 per cent) reported achieving a greater work/life balance for employees. A smaller proportion had been able to negotiate maternity, paternity pay and leave above the statutory minimum. Slightly more than half (52 per cent) won improvements for disabled employees with many making progress on disability leave. Equal pay is still a burning issue for unions with 54 per cent of respondents saying they had been successful in negotiating improvements.
The Equality Audit 2005 can be found at http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/auditfinal.pdf