Women Drivers

I decided to have another look at the position of women members in the train drivers trade union ASLEF - see post dated December 27th 2011 - 'Song Remains the Same'.

Now almost ten years on from my original article - for one of the Sunday newspapers - there has been some progress - of sorts you could say.

But the pace of change is embarrassingly slow - things are moving along at a snail's pace - rather than the speed of a sleek high-speed train.

Because in 2002 the figures recorded by the TUC for ASLEF showed:

ASLEF 2002
Total members - 15,553
Men - 15,180 (97.6%)
Women - 373 (2.4%)

But almost ten years on the latest TUC figures now show:

ASLEF 2011
Total members - 18,532
Men - 17,866 (96.3%)
Women - 666 (3.7%)

So while the percentage of women members in 2002 was a lowly 2.4% - almost 10 years later it 'climbed' to an underwhelming 3.7%.

In that decade ASLEF's women membership rose by 293 (from 373 to 666) - yet the number of men in the union also increased - by 2,686 (from 15,180 to 17,866).

Of the total increase in ASLEF's membership - 2979 (from 15,553 to 18,532) - 9.8% were women (293) while 91.2% were men.

Now this is not a complete picture of course - because not every worker is necessarily a member of the trade union, ASLEF.

But what it does tell you is that there is something far wrong with the recruitment practices in the rail industry - because these are some of the best paid jobs in the country - yet women drivers are about as rare as hen's teeth.

If the rail industry has been trying to achieve a better balanced workforce over the past 10 years - trying to attract more women - then it has failed miserably.

And so has ASLEF it has to be said - because there are lots of women out there doing very demanding and responsible jobs - who would gladly drive a train for a salary worth around £50,000 a year.

No doubt the employers and the trade unions will say - that they are both fully committed to equality issues and equal opportunities in the rail industry.

But if that's the case then how come 9 men have been recruited for every woman - over the past ten years? 

The answer is that a 'hidden hand' is at work - one that is keeping women out of this highly unionised and well-paid  workforce.

And that is something about which both the employers and the trade unions - should be deeply ashamed.

Popular posts from this blog

SNP - Conspiracy of Silence

LGB Rights - Hijacked By Intolerant Zealots!