National Delegate Conference 16-19 June 2008

Domestic violence/abuse underlined as a workplace issue

But debate on perpetrators continues

Kate Ramsden

Elaine Wishart

Jenny Biggs

Conference backed a strategy to negotiate workplace agreements on domestic abuse, giving better support to victims, but failed to grasp the nettle of what to do about perpetrators.

The motion also called for the Government to enact the UN statutory definition of violence against women and of domestic violence. Amendments from Aberdeenshire (remitted) and Edinburgh (defeated) made it clear that perpetrators of abuse would be in our membership as well as victims. They called for action to encourage perpetrators to address their behaviour.

Aberdeenshire called on the union to ‘publicise its zero tolerance of domestic violence alongside services that are in place to manage perpetrators and help them address their behaviour.

The Edinburgh amendment added unpaid time off for such services, although there was not enough clarity here for the National Women's Committee who said it would be a dangerous precedent. Aberdeenshire ‘reluctantly’ agreed to remit their amendment to the NEC.

Aberdeenshire’s Kate Ramsden said,“ We are puzzled by the National Women’s Committee’s opposition but have accepted their assurance that the new model guidance will include the union’s commitment to enabling perpetrators of domestic violence to address their behaviour, whatever their gender may be, and will publicise the programmes available to them.”

She had earlier said,“We should remember that the victims of domestic abuse are not just those who experience it directly”, pointing out that children living in households where abuse takes place can also be significantly affected.

“We must give a clear message that we have zero tolerance of domestic violence”, added Kate.

“However, we must also recognise that those who perpetrate abuse do so often as a result of their own life experiences... they need support to confront and address their behaviour”.

Edinburgh refused to remit their amendment and Elaine Wishart said, “In Scotland we are clear from government down that domestic abuse is gender based abuse”.

“We have members who work with perpetrators and our experience in Edinburgh shows that programmes such as Working With Men, are effective in one in three cases. Not a huge success rate but still effective.”

Jenny Biggs from Grampian Health stressed that early intervention was important in protecting victims and dealing with perpetrators.

Elaine Wishart concluded,“We have policies on how to deal with drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace, so why is there so much resistance to introduce effective measures to deal with perpetrators?” But Conference was not ready to go this far and voted against the amendment.

top