Sexual harassment of ‘thousands’

Press, 8 April 1987, Page 9

Sexual harassment of ‘thousands’

MARGARET BAKER

By

juj ivjinrvvjnAJC. i on ae.iv “Thousands” of young women are putting up with sexual harassment in their workplaces, says the secretary of the Distribution Workers’ Union, Mr Dave Dickinson. He said the union had had two complaints in the last two weeks from girls aged 16 and 17, but most cases were not reported. “They are young people straight out of school who are too frightened to complain because they are scared they might lose their jobs.”

The unemployment situation among young school-leavers had not helped, as many felt they had to put up with harassment from their employer or go without a job.

“The problem has been round for a long time, and it is not helped by the fact that, many school-leavers have no idea of their personal rights.”

Mr Dickinson said the union, which represents shop employees and store

workers, was looking at an education programme to overcome the problem. “But it should also be done in schools, and parents should be made aware that this type of thing happens. Often they do not support their children if they complain to them — and this just places an extra strain on the kid.” In one of the recent cases the girl had got her job after her predecessor had left , because she was also interfered, with by her employer. “Basically it is a case of the boss being too free with his hands,” said Mr Dickinson.

He said he hoped exposure of such complaints would help others approach the union. Usually the union was able to deal with the complaints, but sometimes they were taken further as personal grievance cases, he said. The district senior inspector of secondary

schools, Mr Norman Sinclair, said sexual harassment and human rights would be on the fringe of a number of topics taught in schools.

“I doubt that anything Specific is done in general but some schools would have subjects that contain these elements, and there could well be others who have specific courses — particularly in transition classes.” - , Early this year the Human Rights Commission released a “sexual harassment kit*’ for employees and employers on how to prevent it and how to deal with it The commission said that unchecked, it could cause low staff morale, absenteeism, Unnecessary distraction, and extra costs. The first organisation to process such complaints, the commission has dealt with hundreds of inquiries on the matter and nibre than 100 formal complaints.