To mark International Women’s Day NIPSA will also be sharing a series of personal stories from some of our female activists who hold leadership positions/roles within our Trade Union in line with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day i.e. ‘Give to Gain’ which highlights the importance of us sharing knowledge, experience etc.
Jane Scott’s story:
Jane is a branch secretary in Education Branch 516, is the Vice Chair of the NIPSA Global Solidarity Committee and is also the NIPSA Honorary Treasurer:
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My name is Jane Scott and I currently serve as a branch secretary in Education. I also sit as Vice chair on NIPSA Global Solidarity Committee which also covers our charity “NIPSA Developing World Fund” which I have a special passion for, so much that against my severe and disabling fear of heights, I joined the team of volunteers on 18th September and completed an abseil down the side of the Europa Hotel in Belfast with my husband, children, grandchildren and friends watching from the ground. My 1st ever abseil and definitely my last. I have a real passion for the work and solidarity that we as NIPSA do across the world and also for our climate action work and the general global solidarity issues that arise across the trade union movement.
I am also an elected member of our General Council executive committee and have been elected by the members as the Honorary Treasurer for the past 3years. This again has seen me speaking from the Annual Delegate Conference floor debating on motions and presenting the NIPSA Annual Accounts to enable the members to understand how our finances are looking.
I began my career in NIPSA way back in 2006 when the classroom Assistants took 17 days of strike action over our job evaluation and terms and conditions. At that time I was an ordinary NIPSA member who asked to join the branch committee to assist the branch to become fully involved in the dispute. I was accepted on to our branch committee and then assisted to organise pickets around Belfast also visited those pickets each day to encourage the others taking action. During this action I did radio interviews, was on Nolan (for all my sins), spoke at meetings and even addressed hundreds of members at the steps of Stormont. This took me way out of my comfort zone as I had no training or experience of public speaking but I was encouraged by other women and men who were taking a front role in this dispute and managed to overcome my anxiety of public speaking through my passion for what we were fighting for. This dispute took over my life and at that time I lived and breathed the dispute working tirelessly to get a win for members out there so much so that when it was finally over my children said “happy days can we get our mum back now”. Years after this dispute I was elected into the branch secretary role within our education branch and gained more knowledge by doing training courses including my Diploma in Employment Law. I had loads of support from my HEO in NIPSA and from other branch secretaries in other areas creating a sound 
friendship and valued support circle. I have been re-elected every year for the past 13 years into the branch secretary post and I work tirelessly for our members both representing them in Grievance and Disciplinaries and by negotiating with the CEO through the JNC on staff’s terms and conditions and work related issues, alongside giving supportive advice and signposting people to different places for support and help. Education has transformed in the past 13 years from 5 ELB’s to a Regional EA covering the whole of NI. This has been extremely tough for Trade Unions to keep the best conditions for our staff especially under the financial pressures.
Since then I have moved motions at conference and taken part in debates and sat on many committees including NIPSA Equality Committee, NIPSA Health and Safety Committee, a Northern Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnership committee, NIPSA Union Learning Committee to name but a few. I am not as anxious to speak publicly but it is still not my favourite thing to do and I do still get rather nervous every time I have to address a room full of people.
I am an advocate for women to get involved and use their voice to stand up for themselves and to assist others. I have personal experience of coercive and physical domestic violence as well as mental health issues and I feel that working through these issues and coming out the other side makes me a stronger woman and a better advocate for women’s issues within my workplace. I feel that I am empathetic to others and many members have said to me “I am so glad I spoke to you today, you understand me and my position” There are so many hurdles us as women face in todays society but I believe that if we give each other time, build each other up and support each other then we can overcome the world.
NIPSA has been a huge part of my life for the past 20+ years and I have made many sound relationships within the ranks across all public services departments and have received so much support in all the work and activities that I have been involved in. I am thankful that I am a NIPSA member’.
Always remember we can ‘give’ by mentoring, advocating, listening, challenging bias, or sharing our knowledge and that we can create opportunities, build confidence, and uplift the women around us with every act of giving thus supporting gender equality and our community.