Women's Views on News |
| Hotel housekeepers demand safety at work Posted: 28 Nov 2016 02:08 PM PST
Hotel housekeepers and their unions in 34 countries and over 50 cities around the world held a variety of actions to highlight their fight for rights, recognition and better working conditions during the IUF’s 3rd Hotel Housekeepers Global Week of Action which ran this year from October 31 to November 6. The IUF – The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations – is an international federation of trade unions. It is composed of 421 affiliated trade unions, in 127 countries, representing over 10 million workers in IUF sectors. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Many of the actions this year highlighted the central importance of preventing sexual harassment on the job, a constant threat housekeepers have to contend with. Click here for example, to hear how union men in Chicago react to workplace harassment and assault complaints made by housekeeping and waiting staff. The varied actions included workshops and seminars with experts and awareness-raising meetings with workers, management and the public, including leafletting at airports. Unions also called for specific language on protecting workers from sexual harassment to be part of collective agreements. Everywhere, unions demanded improved working conditions, greater job security and more respect for housekeepers at the workplace. Unions also made use of the Global Week of Action to show to workers the important results of the ongoing campaign on bringing about concrete improvements in working conditions and as an organising tool for building bargaining power in hotels. Speaking before members of the European Parliament on October 19, two hotel housekeepers who are union shop stewards called for action to put an end to the appalling working conditions in Europe’s hospitality industry. Gladys Medina (CC.OO) and Carmen Casin (UGT) described to MEPs the permanent job insecurity, high rate of illness and injury and declining wages stemming from massive outsourcing, increased workloads and austerity-driven labour market deregulation. The two women addressed the parliament at the invitation of Spanish United Left MEP Paloma Lopez of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group (GUE/NGL), who together with other MEPs adopted a written declaration on the working conditions of hotel cleaning staff in Europe calling on the European Commission to monitor and evaluate the situation of these workers across the European Union, among other measures. The hotel cleaning sector is largely outsourced, with positions filled almost exclusively by women. Compensation for such work can be low, even though it is physically demanding. Training, where available, is of poor quality and this, combined with few health and safety provisions, leads to a high number of accidents at work. The European Commission is being called upon to incentivise hotels to improve the working conditions of hotel workers by introducing an EU-wide rating scheme which will provide information about the level of working conditions alongside the quality of service and cleanliness. Lobbying by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Workers' Group resulted late last year in the launch of a standard-setting conversation on violence, particularly gender-based violence, at work. Over the coming years, the ILO will gather data from governments and employer and worker organisations about the extent of the problem in a step toward crafting an international convention.  |
| Pornography: we need education, not censorship Posted: 28 Nov 2016 01:32 PM PST
Last week it was revealed that a Bill currently going through Parliament will stop people in the UK from accessing pornography websites which feature a range of sex acts deemed ‘non-conventional’ by the government. These include female ejaculation, menstruation and spanking, whipping or caning that leaves marks. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in being quite frankly flabbergasted that my own bodily functions and sexual pleasure are considered ‘non-conventional’. Then again, I can’t say I was overly surprised – this policy is just another example of the Conservatives’ archaic attitudes towards sex and pornography. And the most recent amendment to this Bill, called the Digital Economy Bill, is, among other things, unashamedly sexist. It essentially means that it is acceptable for a man to be seen ejaculating over a woman’s breasts, but for her to return the favour is unacceptable. God forbid people learn that women enjoy sex too – yes, they actually do! And as for the ban on menstruation – well, where to begin? I would rather not have to endure bleeding, pain and discomfort on a monthly basis, but I do, and it seems only fair that men should share in this experience in one way or another. Or, at the very least, not be shielded from it, as society has done since for ever. There is already a huge taboo surrounding menstruation, to the extent that it is too often a source of embarrassment and disgust, with the result that too many women feel unable to talk openly about it. Having to try to be secretive about taking a tampon or sanitary towel with us to the toilet at work and lying about why we are feeling unwell or suffering from stomach cramps are struggles that we should not have to endure. And why shouldn’t we have sex while on our periods? The least we deserve is a little enjoyment during this inconvenient and unpleasant time of the month. It’s not for everyone of course, but people who do have sex during menstruation and enjoy doing so should not be made to feel ashamed or uncomfortable. Banning people from watching pornography showing menstruation will not only reinforce and worsen the taboo on the subject, but also serve in undoing the work of women already trying to demolish it. One such woman is author and photographer Rupi Kaur who last year posted a photo on Instragram of a fully-clothed woman lying on a bed with a – very, very small – stain of period blood showing on her trousers, only to have it removed as it was deemed inappropriate and apparently didn’t follow the social media platform’s ‘community guidelines’. The portrayal of women in a lot of pornography is, in my opinion, often problematic, and there are certainly elements, including violence and aggression, which should be addressed – but is not. And for a long time, and not just in pornography, women have been depicted as submissive tools whose main purpose when it comes to sex is to facilitate the pleasure, desires and fantasies of men. We have been taught that sex is for men and we are shamed when we attempt to explore and take ownership of our sexuality and own pleasure, desires and fantasies. While the content of some pornography does need to be altered to reflect more positive and equal scenarios rather than being created with solely the male gaze in mind, suggesting that people’s sexual preferences and desires, as well as women’s natural and unpreventable bodily functions, are ‘non-conventional’ and attempting to stop them from being viewed and enjoyed is serious regression. It will achieve nothing positive – rather, the consequences will be harmful. As with periods, women are fighting and struggling to dismantle the taboos surrounding their sexuality, desires and role in the bedroom – OMGYes, a website aiming to lift ‘the veil on women’s sexual pleasure’, is a great example. Censoring porn will make it even harder for us to do this and, while the recent bill amendment is bad news for everyone, it will undoubtedly negatively affect women more than men. As we here at WVoN have previously said, the government would be far better off investing its time, money and energy into providing up-to-date, comprehensive sex and relationships education – which is still not compulsory in every school – to all children in the UK. I truly believe that young people should be taught about all aspects of sex, including oral, anal and group sex, masturbation, orgasms and fetishes. I’m not suggesting we start showing S&M pornography to 10 year-olds, but I think it is important to introduce adolescents to all areas of sex and relationships. They will discover it all eventually anyway, and educating them and discussing it with them is key to ensuring that they feel comfortable and confident, and can engage in safe, consensual, enjoyable and healthy sex as they get older. A lot of pornography is unrealistic and misleading and it is far better that teenagers learn about sex, and how it is portrayed online, in a secure, open environment where they can ask questions and are taught the ins and outs in a thorough, truthful manner. If you disagree with the amendment to the Digital Economy Bill, write to your MP and/or the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: Karen Bradley.  |
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