Executive Summary

For the second year the ETUC 8th of March Survey has analysed women’s representation in national confederations and European Industry Federations. This year’s survey saw a higher number of respondents thus allowing for a more reliable data comparison with respect to past years’ surveys. This is a positive development in line with the ETUC Gender mainstreaming charter that affirms the need to have good and comparable gender disaggregated data in order to measure improvement and find out where additional action is needed.

The general trend of a growing number of women in the trade unions’ ranks is reaffirmed by this year results. Out of the 22 confederations that reported a rise in their female membership, half of them experienced a general reduction in their respective trade union membership levels since 2008. While of the 14 confederations that reported a fall in their trade union membership since 2008 only 3 of them also reported a decrease in their female membership. These figures clearly show that for some trade unions attracting more women to their ranks is playing a crucial role in maintaining trade union growth.

In terms of trade union leadership, the presence of women is still considerably low in most of the trade union high level positions surveyed (presidency, vice-presidency, secretary general, deputy secretary general) and practically no progress has been made in this area in the past year. Some trade unions have taken a U-turn in this regard, replacing female leaders with male ones. This year again, some of the Nordic and Baltic trade unions score relatively well in this area. In general, women are more often appointed or elected to “deputy” positions, although often the proportion of men in the same positions is more than double.

The low presence of women in decision level positions against the trend of an increasing number of female workers joining the trade union ranks, reiterates the importance for unions to put in place specific measures to address women’s underrepresentation at decision-making levels.

The issues of childcare facilities is recognised as an important one for a number of unions. Most of the confederations take part in tripartite Committees dealing with the area of reconciliation of work-life balance, including childcare services. Often they lobby their respective government for addressing public spending to increase the quality, accessibility and availability of childcare services. Also joint bilateral activities (trade unions/employers) have been reported. Despite all this, there is a risk that the Barcelona targets on childcare facilities will not to be met in the majority of the EU countries, with the exception of the Nordic countries (that have already reached them). The most recurrent problems highlighted by unions in this area concern the high costs related to childcare provisions, the lack of childcare facilities, times that do not match working parents’ needs and the shortage of qualified personnel in the sector, also due to low pay and working conditions attached to these jobs.

Alongside trade union activities on specific gender issues, most are also active in gender mainstreaming policies and activities. A number of trade unions have some form of trade union charter on gender mainstreaming in place, which tend to mirror or to reaffirm the principles set out in the ETUC Charter, although these do not exist in all trade unions. Others have already made changes to their statutes to ensure gender mainstreaming or to achieve a better representation of women in decision-making positions.

General Introduction

As part of the follow up to the 11th ETUC Congress held in Seville (Spain) in May 2007, ETUC carried out the second of what will become an annual 8th March survey . The aim of this survey is to assess the extent to which progress has been made in reducing the gender representation gap in trade unions and to highlight successful gender mainstreaming activities that are taking place within our affiliated organisations. Every year the survey also focuses on a topic that is high on the agendas of trade unions and/or EU institutions. This year’s survey also tackled the issue of childcare facilities provisions and trade unions’ actions in this regard.

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