The place of workers in Google who wish to effectively tackle alleged discrimination against women in the company is in a union, the SIPTU Services Division Biennial Conference in Portlaoise, County Laois, heard this afternoon (Thursday, 1st November). Addressing more than 170 delegates in the Midlands Park Hotel, SIPTU Services Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said: “No worker should have to deal with discriminatory practices in their workplace. That is why our union fully supports the workers in Google who have today taken a stand for fairness and against discrimination. “However, if these workers want to effectively deal with discrimination, or any other workplace issue, they should organise with the experts who have been successfully winning the battle for better conditions and lives for workers for more than 100 years. They should join a union. “The place for all workers is in their union but in particular a women’s place is in her union. Women face discrimination more often than men, they make up a disproportionate number of workers on low pay and often have lesser pensions. I want to take this opportunity to say to all workers facing discrimination join with us and together we will win the fair workplaces we all deserve.” She added: “As a union, we must redouble our efforts to organise workers. Especially workers in private sector services and workers in the areas of work that have been so deconstructed that people can no longer sustain themselves. This must be done by convincing them to recognise that workers together are stronger within their union than without it. “We must press on with the drive to organise workers in all parts of the economy, workers on all types of employment contracts, including precarious workers, agency workers and freelance workers. Regardless of the nature of the employment status of these workers, they are all workers who have the right to equal treatment and the right to collectively bargain their terms and conditions of work.”
SIPTU Conference told Google workers should organise in a union to fight discrimination
