Waving not drowning

Southern & Eastern Region TUC (SERTUC) Women's Rights Committee, 58 pages, £4.00

This report is the seventh survey of women and trade unions carried out by the SERTUC Women's Rights Committee. It finds that in some respects not much has changed for women within union structures since the last report was published in 2000.

For example, less than half of the unions surveyed have a national executive committee that reflects the proportion of women members.

On a more positive note, there are now 14 female general secretaries, compared to six in 2000.

This year's report includes more information than before about unions' lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and disabled members' structures.

It also finds advances for black and ethnic minority members, with nine unions now having reserved seats for black members on their executive compared to three in 2000.