Celebrating Women in the BFAWU

Patrycja Grabowska

Hi, my name is Patrycja Grabowska and I have been a member of the BFAWU for several years and a combined Shop Steward and Health and Safety rep for the last two years.

I am part of a team of eleven colleagues from Branch 582, at Carlton in Barnsley, and with an established branch on site, representing members for half a century, I am able to be involved in a wide range of activities at work through my Union duties.

I attended my stage one health and safety and Union rep courses last year and have recently attended stage two on both subjects, meeting and engaging with other colleagues from different regions of our Union and also reps from other unions.

I have also completed a “racism” program and a “tackling sexual harassment” course over the last six months.

I was fortunate to attend the 2024 Annual Conference as a youth delegate from my branch and intend to visit again this June as my last year as a youth delegate. The Conference is a great way to meet new people with similar issues throughout our industry, and share ideas and compare working practices and problem solving, helping to deal with the many concerns that we have in the baking industry.

My objectives for the hopefully not too distant future are to greatly improve menopause awareness, confront the poor toilet facilities for women at work and drive for free sanitary products in every workplace in our Union.

My personal ambitions in my branch are to attend regional council, work up towards representing my branch at the senior level and one day fight for the position of branch secretary