ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter gender and unions have been examined in terms of issues of participation and representation. This chapter will consider the related aspect of union policies. The impact of feminism on the trade union movement in the 1970s and 1980s led to demands both for better representation of women in unions and for changes in union policies to give greater support to women's rights. These policy developments in the unions have been discussed in Chapter 2. The research explored the extent to which these changes in union policies had affected the union at branch level. This was investigated in the questionnaire with questions about bargaining priorities and views of women's position in society. In the interviews, questions were asked about NALGO's equal opportunities work and about gender issues in collective bargaining.
