AS a long term equality campaigner, I was disappointed to read that, 28 years after the passage of the Sex Discrimination, Equal Pay, and Race Relations Acts, female council employees are being subjected to unwanted sexual attention, harassment, and bullying in the workplace.
During this period, enlightened organisations (both public and private) have, on the advice of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and subsequently the TUC, adopted codes of practice, policies, procedures and effective sanctions to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, including sexual harassment, and to combat bullying.
Case law has defined what constitutes sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behaviour, and in addition to the conventional grievance procedure many organisations, recognising the adverse effects on the victims, have instituted special procedures to deal with sexual harassment.
It is therefore surprising that certain sections of the council workforce should feel "they cannot turn to anybody".
My advice to the victims of these insidious attacks on their dignity and person is firstly to exhaust the internal grievance and appeals procedure. If there is no satisfactory intervention and restitution at this level to stop the harassment, then ask for the Regional Trade Union Officer's intervention. This officer can seek employment law advice from a legal specialist and/or the Equal Opportunities Commission, to determine whether there is a need for referral to an Industrial Tribunal, with back up and support from the Commission and Trade Union.
Mrs M J Woodward
Duxbury Avenue
Bolton
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