In the UK, where privatisation of local authority services is widespread, the predominantly female workforce of cleaners at St George's Hospital in Tooting set up a union to improve their working conditions. One third of the workforce are now unionised, but the women who started the union have been harassed by their employers and were the victims of selective dismissal. Women's struggles for trade union rights can also lead to state-sponsored injustices. In Indonesia, Roliati Harefa's employer physically attacked her to force her to give up her trade union membership, and she filed a complaint against him. However, because she had retaliated, her employer won a case for her attack, and she was imprisoned for her 'criminal act'.
Unions owe a lot to women workers, says the report.
As traditional union membership declines, unions realise that they must reach out to large numbers of unorganised women workers, who work part-time, in temporary or casual work or at home, if they want to regain their former strength and represent the whole of the labour movement. Women also need unions. As the largest organisation of working women, they are an important interest and lobbying group which can influence government policy on women and equality issues. They are the only organisation that can bring concrete improvements in equality at the workplace. It stipulates the right of workers to form and join independent trade unions of their choice.