Unite campaign for Repeal will be informed by ground-breaking workplace survey

March 8th: Trade union Unite, which represents working women in all sectors, today (International Women’s Day) said that its campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment will be informed by the ground-breaking survey Abortion as a Workplace Issue published last November.

Pointing out that International Women’s Day, like every other day, will see working women travel to Britain for an abortion, Unite’s Regional Women’s Officer Taryn Trainor said that repeal of the Eighth Amendment, followed by appropriate legislation, is of particular importance for working class women, as well as migrants and people with disabilities, who are precluded from travelling for financial or other reasons.

Speaking ahead of this evening’s March to Repeal the 8^th, Ms Trainor said:

“The ground-breaking research Abortion as a Workplace Issue, based on responses from over 3,000 members of unions including Unite, highlighted the particular difficulties that working women have in not only travelling for an abortion, but accessing vital healthcare on their return.  In addition to the financial cost involved, issues highlighted by respondents included lack of access to paid leave or sick leave, as well as pressure to return to work prematurely and the fear of victimisation.

“Unite is determined to ensure that this International Women’s Day will be the last on which working women are forced to travel for an abortion.  We will be working with other unions in the Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the 8^th, as well as with the wider Repeal movement, to ensure a ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum.

“If the amendment is repealed and legislation introduced providing for abortion, Unite will continue working with other unions to ensure that women in crisis pregnancy situations are fully supported in the workplace”, Taryn Trainor said.