Just ahead of International Women’s Day, a delegation of 30 women union leaders lobbied government and opposition politicians in Victoria to propose concrete steps focusing on women’s safety and greater protections from violence, assaults and harassment at work, in the community, and at home.

Among the issues the BCFED is pressing for action include:

• Improved sexual assault services for women at BC health care facilities;
• Updated employment laws to include intimate partner violence leave (formerly known as domestic violence leave) to safeguard the jobs and paycheques of women who are victimized by domestic violence;
• Better protections for women to address sexual violence and harassment on the job; and
• An end to the exemptions to the minimum wage that see some workers like restaurant services and farm workers paid less than the minimum.

In addition to MoveUP, women from the following affiliates also took part in the event:

• BCGEU
• BCTF
• CEU
• CUPE
• FPSE
• HEU
• HSA
• IATSE
• IBEW
• PSAC
• UBCP/Actra

Learn more on the BCFED website.