A trade union motion being kicked around at the TUC today is whether women should ditch their high heels in favour of "sensible" shoes.
One colleague mused that surely the unions could pick motions that don't open them up to ridicule. It's a bit dull and worthy to be banging on about the inappropriateness of wearing glamorous high heels for the day job, isn't it?
Dull it may be, but what the motion picks up is that some workers don't have much choice due to dress codes, notably in the retail industry. And they are the workers who are usually forced to stand on their feet all day. Anyone in the business will know that whatever shoes you wear, standing for an eight hour shift does take its toll.
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists says the routine wearing of high heels can cause serious foot, knee and back pain, and damaged joints, so companies should carry out proper risk assessments before promoting heels as part of the workers' apparel.
As someone whose grandmother had several foot operations due to a lifetime of wearing stilettos, I know they're on to something. But as motions go, this one has already provoked rather a lot of titters around sections of TUC congress. Like high heel shoes, this motion is going to get noticed.
