Congress is pleased to partner Safe Ireland, along with the National Women's Council, on the launch of the 2014 Man Up campaign - Make Ireland the Safest Place for Women and Children
Congress General Secretary, David Begg spoke at the launch and shared the results of research done by the Women's Committees of the Trade Union Centres in the UK and on the island of Ireland on the issue of violence against women and the workplace. Speaking at the launch he said that while domestic violence may happen behind closed doors, it has far reaching consequences beyond the home and often has a significant impact on the working lives of those (the majority of whom are women) living with an abusive partner. Trade Union Centres here and in the UK undertook our own research into this issue earlier this year. Inspired by an Australian trade union project Safe at Home, Safe at Work, which had identified and highlighted the scale of the problem and then used this information to bargain for up to 20 days of paid leave for workers experiencing domestic violence, we carried out a similar survey.
While the findings didn't tell us anything about the prevalence of domestic violence, as the respondents were self-selecting, it did tell us how the violence affects working lives. Unsurprisingly, much of it supported existing evidence about the impact of domestic violence on performance and attendance. Here are the key findings:
1. Abuse stops women from getting to work
Of those who had experienced domestic violence, over forty per cent said it had affected their ability to get to work. For nearly three quarters of those who had trouble getting to work, this was due to physical injury or restraint. For another quarter, it was due to car keys or money for public transport being hidden or stolen by their abuser.
2. Abuse carries on at work
Over one in ten of those who experienced domestic violence reported that the violence continued in the work place. In most cases (81%) this was through harassing or abusive emails or phone calls. But for nearly half of those who reported that the abuse continued at work, the abuse took the form of their abusive partner physically turning up at their workplace or stalking them outside their workplace.
Ninety per cent of respondents who had experienced domestic violence reported that the violence had caused conflict and tension with colleagues and a quarter of respondents reported that their colleagues were harmed or threatened.
3. Too few people experiencing domestic violence talk to their union or even their colleagues about what's going on.
One of the striking findings from the survey was how rarely those experiencing domestic violence disclosed to anyone at work. Fewer than one in three of those experiencing domestic violence discussed the violence with anyone at work and less than 10% told their union rep what was going on. Interestingly, another third said they hadn't told anyone but they believed their colleagues knew anyway. The main reasons for not disclosing were 'shame" and "privacy". This is one of the main reasons I am here today – it is important that women (who make up 51% of our movement) know that their trade union is engaged on such issues and that their male colleagues will stand with them in the fight against violence against women. Congress and affiliates have been long-time supporters of initiatives to engage men such as The White Ribbon campaign and Man Up. We will continue our active support for the annual 16 Days against Violence Against Women Campaign. .
4. And when they do tell someone, all too often, nothing good comes of it
While this is not surprising in itself, given the stigma attached to domestic violence and the shame often experienced by those who experience it, it is surprising and worrying how few people felt that disclosing had led to anything positive happening. Of those who told someone at work what was going on, over half said that "nothing really changed" as a result of disclosing and for four per cent, telling someone at work made things worse.
Finally, it is also worth reminding ourselves about a couple of relevant initiatives:
- the 2012 revision of the CODE OF PRACTICE ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND HARASSMENT AT WORK - here
- and the set of guidelines for trade unions in order to assist women at work who are experiencing domestic violence. It is intended that this Guide be used in a practical way to give information, ideas and contacts to union representatives in the workplace and to enable them to give consistent and effective assistance to those suffering domestic abuse.
