Ensuring equality, fairness and safety for all members is a key priority of our union. As a union in a historically male dominated industry, supporting and developing our women’s committee has been critical in ensuring we continue to campaign for improvements that all members benefit from.
This year’s RTBU Women’s Conference was a huge success. Held at the start of the month, we hosted over 50 sisters including Women’s Advocates, Delegates, Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), Activists, and Members from across the industry.
The day began with the RTBU Women’s committee introducing their new mission statement for 2025; Empowering women and shaping the future of the network. This goal is underpinned by the following values:
- Every Deed Counts
- Champion & Respect Diversity
- Pursuit of Excellence
- Foster a Sense of Community
- Accountability
- Initiate Change
I then addressed the conference providing an overview of the current union framework and how our officials, organisers and staff are available to help develop and support the actions and campaigns of the committee.
National Vice President (Affirmative Action) Leanne Holmes then spoke on the RTBU’s ongoing commitment to improving working conditions and entitlements for women in public transport before the conference featured a panel discussion where our women delegates considered issues impacting women across the industry, as well as their aspirations for the broader union movement.
Our legal partners at Gordon Legal ran an informative session on entitlements to Superannuation and Total & Permanent Disability Insurance. We also heard from the Victoria Trades Hall Council (VTHC) about the ‘It’s For Every Body Campaign’ which is currently fighting for paid reproductive leave for all workers.
In the Know Your Rights workshop, attendees learnt how their rights and protections have been enhanced by the industrial reforms (IR) introduced by the federal Labor government. They were also then given the opportunity to develop their own campaign in the Planning for Success workshop.
These workshops form an integral part of the conference which allows attendees to further develop new knowledge through practical applications.
The women’s conference was an incredible opportunity for our sisters to share their experiences, learn about their rights, develop campaign skills, and build a stronger network.
We received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 100% of attendees saying they would return – many excited for the next event. The RTBU is determined to continue building on this momentum in the fight for gender equality.
We encourage all members to play an active role in your union. If you want to find out more, contact RTBU Women at women@rtbuvic.com.au or call the office at 03 8630 9100.
