‘Stand up and fight’

Especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement, ending sexual harassment in the workplace has become a central issue for trade unions.

On the opening day of TUC conference (September 9), Unite delegate and construction worker Tracey Whittle spoke in support of a motion on fighting sexual harassment. She shared her experience with sexual harassment, saying it has “been following me for the last 18 years while I’ve been a painter and decorator.”

“Some of the guys think the banter is acceptable,” she added. “The comments when I was painting the skirting of ‘while you’re down there’ became part of the norm. But when I actually said to one of the guys who often said to me ‘While you’re down there’ I said to him when he was fitting a bit of skirting ‘Oh while you’re down there’, he looked at me in disgust.

“And I said if you like that sort of thing, don’t you think I like somebody there as well sometimes? He didn’t quite know what to say to me. And I said well if you don’t’ like it being said to you then don’t say things like that to me,” Tracey told conference to rousing applause.

She called for separate legislation on sexual harassment because “even managers don’t know the difference.”

“You go into an office full of men and you tell them this has happened – [they say] that’s normal isn’t it? Well normal in your eyes yes but should I have to put up with it on a daily basis. Do you want me to come into this office every single time one of those guys has offended me out there?”

“They don’t understand,” Tracey went on to say. “They need proper guidance for themselves, for the workforce and for everybody else so that there are clear lines. We need men to stand up and fight if they witness it because in my industry if the men don’t get up and fight about it, it will go unheard.”

The motion was overwhelmingly carried.