Negotiate safer, fairer workplaces
Are you ready to negotiate for equality? As part of our Workplaces for Women project, we've built a set of customisable model clauses, bargaining arguments and resources to back your next round of workplace negotiations.
The resources are designed for unions to use in bargaining to tackle gender inequality and gendered harm through collective power.
*A log of claims is the list of key issues that union members want addressed during bargaining.
Clauses and bargaining arguments
Click through below to access ready-to-use clauses you can adapt for your workplace. There are clauses, model language and the bargaining arguments that back it up.
Flexibility
The need for flexibility is gendered.
Without flexible work options, many women who care would either need to take unplanned leave, reduce their working hours involuntarily, move to lower-paid work, leave the workforce or may never join particular industries. Flexible work gives working people the autonomy and opportunity to balance personal commitments and circumstances without having to sacrifice financial security.
Claim 1: Flexible Working Arrangements
Claim 4: Transition to Retirement
Respect and dignity at work
Workplaces that provide gender appropriate uniforms and PPE, and tailored leave entitlements, enable women and gender diverse workers to work confidentially and professionally, reduces discomfort and stress, and signals that this workplace respects women as skilled workers. This improves morale, retention and productivity. Improving entitlements like flexible work options, is one real way the workplace can demonstrate respect and inclusion, and to increase workforce participation and retention.
Claim 5: Gender inclusive Personal Protective Equipment and Uniforms
Claim 8: Gender Neutral Language: see Equality log of claims for more information
Safety at work
Over 60 per cent of women have experienced some form of gendered violence at work.
If there is a hazard in the workplace, the employer must take steps to eliminate it, or prevent it. Gendered violence and sexual harassment is not a problem of isolated behaviours; the hazards are built into our workplace structures.
Waiting until an incident happens puts workers at risk of serious injury; it’s also against the law.
Claim 10: Implement the Positive Duty
Claim 11: Workplace Implementation and Compliance Committee
Claim 12: Eliminate gender-based violence
Claim 13: Family and Domestic Violence
Fairness and equality (parental leave and associated entitlements)
When both parents can take paid leave, the whole family benefits. For unions, paid parental leave is about dignity, equality, financial security and secure work. Every worker should have the opportunity to care for their family without sacrificing income, job security or career opportunities.
Claim 18: Lactation and breastfeeding supports
Secure Work
Insecure work discourages workers from speaking up when things go wrong.
Workers are less likely to report sexual harassment and gendered violence, unsafe work or other concerns if they fear their contract won’t be renewed or that they’ll lose shifts. Women are overrepresented in insecure and casual work; secure work is essential for combating gender discrimination and achieving equality.
Claim 23: Part-time employment
Claim 25: Fixed-term employment
Claim 27: Fair career progression: see Equality log of claims for more information
Claim 28: Equitable classification structure: see Equality log of claims for more information
By addressing barriers to gender equality, we can create workplaces that are accessible, fair and safe for everyone.
Training, gender equality reports and factsheets are available here.
Contact the Victorian Trades Hall Council Women’s Team at [email protected]