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Bullying, harassment or even violence: Almost every woman who has ever worked on a construction site can report this. More than half have experienced sexual harassment, one in four sexual assault. This is evident from a new survey by Unia among almost 300 employees.
Yelines Hofer (31), painter, from Olten SO: “Customers are usually the worst. After we repainted a townhouse, I patched a base in the bedroom. The man came to stand next to me. As he spoke to me, he undressed. His wife was downstairs in the kitchen. Later he followed me, staring from the door frame. I told the boss – but he would never say anything. The customer pays.”
First say, then feel
Domenica Priore (55), plumber at Egg ZH: “A former colleague became pushy. At first it just said how sexy he thought I was and so on. I kept telling him to stop, but that only made him more angry. After a conversation with the boss it was quiet for a while, but then he started groping me, I had to push him away. Only then was he released.”
Yelines Hofer: “When we were painting a gym, the owner kept touching me. I said no, he continued. My boss sent a few colleagues to keep an eye on me. It didn’t get any better.”
Domenica Priore: «’What do you do as a woman in construction?’ or “Hey baby, big ass,” but then also “You’re trans, you’re – nicely put – downright dirty.” I hear such statements over and over again. It’s as cliché as you imagine.”
Hofer: «A friend was shocked when she saw a calendar with naked women in a car mechanic. That’s disgusting. It’s normal for us. Naked women hang in every cubicle. You don’t even ask yourself anymore. When I started, they beat your ass if you walked past the construction site. These things have become rarer.”
The customer expressly wanted to be advised by a man
The research shows that the old prejudices are still widespread today: that women work worse because they are not as strong. Many female construction workers think they have to work harder to be taken seriously.
Hofer: “A customer called and wanted color advice – but only from one man. And this despite the fact that I have followed several refresher courses in this area. It was the location manager of a well-known, large institution. Why? No idea.”
Priore: «When I started living as a woman, my position changed abruptly. I became less trusted. For example, a proposal I made was rejected. But when a colleague brought up exactly the same thing a week later, they were fine with it.”
Hofer: “If you’re new to the team, you have to be more present than the men. If a man says I can’t bear that, it’s less bad than if I say so.”
Women are still a rarity in the construction industry
Stefanie Wegmann (45), painter from Trimbach SO: “If you choose this job, you know that you have to be able to carry a paint kettle of 20 kilos. The results of the study shocked me. I work in a women’s network, we are all self-employed. Fortunately, we never experienced any harassment. When we get to the construction site, we’re in charge.”
Domenica Priore: “My work as a plumber was very physically demanding. Then the material became lighter – plastic is used instead of steel and there are lifting aids. Gone are the days of lugging around.”
Women are still a rarity in construction: there are hardly any female plasterers or masons. And yet their share has increased in recent years: in the painting industry, for example, every fifth skilled worker is now a woman. But the structures are still designed for men’s teams: there are hardly any separate cloakrooms and toilets are a rarity in the construction industry, for example for painters.
“The toilet situation is bad”
Priore: “I am always the first in the morning and the last in the evening so that I can change clothes in peace at work.”
Hofer: «The toilet situation is bad. Some women don’t drink all day. The colleagues do it with empty paint kettles. If you work in the area you can go back to the office, otherwise go to the nearest restaurant. In the old store, the boss withdrew hours from me if I left the construction site for that. We have the well-known saying: You come to work with shit. But what do you do when you’re on your period? I’ve already changed the tampon in the basement – or in the car. I always have disinfectant with me. Most bosses don’t care. You hear: ‘Don’t be difficult’ or ‘The construction site is only for this week’.”
In the Unia survey, nine out of ten women indicated that career and family are hardly compatible in the sector: they want more part-time jobs and better rules. Hardly anywhere else is part-time work frowned upon as much as in construction. Even large companies don’t offer them, and when they do, it’s often work on call. This has consequences: many women drop out when they have children.
“Almost all the women I know get out”
Brigitte Angele Hanselmann (50), painter from Bubikon ZH: “I was 26 with my first child, I worked full-time until the seventh month. My husband was still studying and financially it was very tight. So I had to keep working after giving birth, on call, a little bit here and there, which was fine. All my pay went to daycare. I could only keep working because of my family. My father was a painter and my brother worked in construction. I could work for the family business. Part-time work elsewhere would not have been possible – no chance. It’s also complicated. What if the child is suddenly ill? Then the mother stays home today.”
Yelines Hofer: “Almost all the women I know get out. They retrain, clean or serve. I’m already considering whether I want kids because I know that’s going to be very difficult. If someone applies for 100 percent and someone for 80 percent, they take that one for 100 percent. Part time means more work. The bosses aren’t interested in dealing with it, they don’t get pregnant themselves. But they should change. It’s getting harder and harder to find good, reliable people.”
Part time could solve many problems. The industry suffers enormously from a shortage of skilled workers: in the construction sector there are currently 13,300 vacancies, only the healthcare workers are in demand. A new study shows that by 2040, one in six construction jobs will remain vacant.
Taking care of the children after the hard work is not possible
Stefanie Wegmann: “As a self-employed person, we can work part-time. We speak to each other. When it comes to bigger things, we help each other. Our example shows that it is possible. Why is this still so rare? Maybe because it’s been done that way so far and it should stay that way.”
Angele: «I’ve been working more again for five years now. Even today, most women still tell me that if they have a family, they won’t be able to work anyway. I understand. Taking care of children after hard work does not fit. It’s easier to stay home.”
Hofer, Wegmann, Angele and Priore love their job – despite the unfavorable conditions. They all say that something has changed, improved.
Wegmann: “It became cleaner. People drank beer in the mid-morning and lunchtime. That doesn’t happen today.”
Hofer: «Nowadays I don’t have to and don’t want to put up with that much anymore. I wanted to give up several times, but realized that work and circumstances are two different things. If it doesn’t work anymore, I’ll change lofts. I love my job so I know I’m not that bad. This helps.”
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
