GMB North West and Irish Region Connect Magazine | Seite 11

EQUALITIES

Equality and Rights in Society

Young GMB members in Northern Ireland are campaigning with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Love Equality NI for the Stormont Government to legalise same-sex marriage ( Equal Civil Marriage ), with the campaign gaining momentum following success in legalising same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland in 2015 .

Young members are also campaigning on abortion rights across Ireland alongside campaign groups such as Alliance for Choice , who ’ s activists came to speak at our Regional Women ’ s Conference about their # TrustWomen campaign in November 2016 . Many women have to travel from Ireland and Northern Ireland to mainland UK to have a legal abortion and have to take time off work and face costs . Young women , especially those in low paid and precarious work , are adversely impacted both in terms of the cost and the loss of earnings making this journey .

If you would like more information about our campaigns in Ireland , please email NI Regional Young Members Officer Denise Walker at denise . walker @ gmb . org . uk

Raising money for our movement

Every year the GMB NW & I sends young members to volunteer as bar staff for the trade union charity , Workers Beer Company , at numerous UK music festivals including Glastonbury and Latitude . The money raised by our volunteers goes back into the young members ’ network fund . Volunteers receive a free ticket to the festival and meals and are able to explore and enjoy the festival when they are not on shift .

We want more young GMB members to get involved in their union , whether you are someone who wants to be a Workplace Organiser , take up other positions in your Branch or just want to learn more about our union and current industrial and political issues affecting young workers , this is the perfect opportunity to get involved

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