Women Drivers
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.
