Leslie DIAS

Biographical note
Leslie Dias is a national representative of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, with more than 310,000 members across the country, working in every major sector including public transport. Leslie is a senior negotiator in civil aviation and is a member of the ITF women transport workers’ committee.  Unifor has developed a very successful workplace programme on violence against women workers they call the women’s advocate programme.  Unifor also has a history of ground-breaking results regarding women’s employment in the transport industry – including using the Canadian employment equity act to tackle system discrimination and challenge the lack of women’s employment in rail. This has improved gender equality and the number of women working in rail.

Presentation: Women need transport and transport needs women
Women are high users of public transport and yet women are under-represented as workers in many parts of public transport. The International Transport Workers Federation brings together unions representing women transport workers across the world – with direct experience of addressing the barriers that exist, and of achieving positive changes that can make a real difference. This includes union action to support women transport workers tackle job segregation and lack of women in leadership roles, access to jobs, recruitment procedures, equal pay, maternity and family friendly policies, health and safety, welfare and appropriate uniforms. Action on violence and harassment against women and girls on public transport – passengers and workers – is vital not just for individual working women, but for families and for communities too.