Agenda.

Workshop Synopses

In previous years, Conference workshops had been centered around issues identified as relevant to women in education on a national level and Delegates had the chance to participate in workshop sessions that built on the issue over two days, or to attend two different workshops to engage in two key women's debates over the Federal Women's Conference.

This year, given the extent of the threat the Howard Government's Industrial Relations changes pose to all workers' conditions, it was decided that the Federal Women's Conference had the opportunity to draw on the ideas and commitment of activist women in the union, as the whole Conference theme.

The workshop sessions therefore, were firstly run to centre delegates' efforts on digesting the information about changes to workplace laws and then on spreading the word in whichever public education sector they may work in.

The second workshop was specific to their Branch/Associated Body and enabled strategies for local campaigning to be incorporated in their unions' activities – particularly activities that highlight the effects on women workers and engaging them in the long term fight to defend workers' rights to collectively organise.

The workshop papers this year provided a range of perspectives on the workplace changes, like:

-   who they affect;

-   how far reaching they may be;

-   experiences of similar laws by past governments;

-   what actions are being taken against the laws; and

-   how you can be involved.