Women and Trade Unions

This text examines how women trade unionists have sought to make trade union structures and policy agendas more inclusive of the interests of women workers. More specifically, the author analyzes the extent to which such a "partnership" has been developed between women and trade unions in four countries - Australia, Sweden, Austria and Israel. Several questions are addressed in the book: what is distinctive about the strategies for change pursued by women unionists in each country and why; under what circumstances and around what issues have women trade unionists employed class-based or gender-specific strategies in furthering the interests of women workers; how relevant to the choice of strategy is the history of women's inclusion and representation by trade unions and the political and cultural environment within which trade unionism has operated?