Women urged to fight like Greeks

She called on them to break anti-union laws and co-ordinate strikes in a massive fightback.

"It's time we went beyond trade union disputes and look at Greece, where workers are striking against austerity measures," she told the TUC women's conference.

Ms Jones said workers would be supported by the European Court of Human Rights because Britain's trade union laws "don't match international standards."

She spoke after several speakers spelled out how the savage slashing of domestic violence services had put women's lives at risk.

They also stressed that Labour had to act decisively on the issue or risk losing women's votes at the next election.

A new report by the party found that 230 domestic violence victims a day are turned away from packed shelters and specialist services have had their budgets cut by a third.

But Ms Jones said she was disappointed the report hadn't looked into women's safety at work amid the coalition's attacks on employment rights.

Top gender studies academic Sylvia Walby slammed ministers' decision to stop ring-fencing funding and pitch services against each other through forced competitive tendering.

Benefit cuts and soaring unemployment were making women more dependent and at greater risk of violence, Ms Walby said, pointing out that the cuts weren't necessary.

"What about closing tax havens and collecting the unpaid taxes?"

She called on Labour to promise to reverse all the coalition's austerity measures and dump its "slower cuts" plan.

louise@peoples-press.com