PCS - civil service union - and Unite - protest against women's rights event in Edinburgh

I saw NEU and UCU flags in pictures of the protest against LWS Cambridge as well...

Loads of Unite flags on the women hating side of Let Women Speak Cambridge too.

Maybe they were just passing by 🙄

That bee needs a good stickering 😁

Fair enough. I very rarely read PE.

*AdamRyan^ · Yesterday 19:23

+ + The same way you horny handed daughters of toil manage to find the time to post I imagine + +

What a strange turn of phrase, a wee bit classist as well

It's also commonly used in Private Eye, usually to mock well-paid, middle class union officials.

Forgot pic

I was in Manchester Victoria railway station. Manchester Bee in suffragette colours sponsored by Unison. I know its the colour of their logo but looks very off considering union's attitude to women generally.

So annoyed that I have to be in a union for public liability insurance ! And unfortunately all the health workers unions are captured ! 🤬🤬🤬

I agree @AIstolemylunch . I. A union member. My union is far from perfect but it's important to me to be in a union. I think it's important not to assume that a mad policy position (TWAW for instance) or some members turning up at the Edinburgh event with union flags means that the whole union is captured.
Some of these unions have the best part of a million members and I guarantee they don't all sign up to the craziness.
I think some of this stuff (trans, sex work) is really testing unions' democratic processes. How informed are the people voting on policies at conferences? How easy is it for anyone to speak against a motion saying TWAW? Not easy at all. That's why we've ended up with so many unions in such shitty places.

As I keep saying, I'm actually not very left wing at all

Clearly.

Quite, as I said, they are problematic on the TWAW front and yes on prostitution being harmless sex work, both positions I completely disagree with. However, you'll be hard pressed to find a union that didn't officially hold those positions. But as I said, the reason I didnt choose GMB is their particularly close relationship with Labour/Momentum.

However I do see, through my fmaily memebr and his colleagues, that many of them also dont really believe in the TWAW position and are increasingly fruatrated by men cheating in women's sports, and they tend to focus more on helping individual members who are being railroaded by large organisations.

That's why I joined a union, for selfish reasons to do with my particular work context, but you'll never find one that isnt also problematic to a feminist position.

As I keep saying, I'm actually not very left wing at all 😂

I wouldn't join GMB personally because of their position on prostitution (which is full on SWIW to the point of setting up a 'union branch for sex workers'... which had about 10 members all of whom were brothel/escort agency owners). They're also TWAW. They haven't come out of the Karon Monaghan report looking good either. I'd go so far as to say the GMB has a massive woman problem!

I like it, it's right up there with the 'man on the Clapham omnibus'. I enjoyed the turn that Tinsel gave it.

"Horny handed sons of toil" is a well know phrase in left wing politics. I'm surprised you've not heard of it Adam. Given its origins are Victorian, yes they are likely to be "classist".

Thank you, I'll have a closer look at some

The same way you horny handed daughters of toil manage to find the time to post I imagine 😂

What a strange turn of phrase, a wee bit classist as well

I'm a solicitor (a profession not known for union membership, as there isn't one for us). I joined Affinity due to a previous employer becoming an utter horror to work for as I thought I might need their help at some point.

Even though I've left now, I've kept my membership going as you just never know.

People weren't protesting as individuals, they were representing the unions so you're kind of missing the point. Yes everyone can speak about what they want to but no, some institutions have a remit which means that protesting against women's rights is not OK. There appears to be a vested interest in convincing people that 'there's nothing to see here'. Perhaps it's hard to fully accept just how bigoted some major institutions are and how much they will throw women under the bus to protect or enhance male privilege.

Seriously. You're coming up with excuses why you personally can't join a union but having a go at other people who leave unions?

Anyway...https://www.theworkersunion.com/why-join-a-union/

I'm thinking of writing to PCS and asking (a) whether they were at the protest (b) was this an official act and (c) if so, why the fuck I should continue to pay them when they're actively working against my rights.

Where would be best to send that? I am feeling a bit of trepidation about outing myself as GC but it feels like the time has come.

Oh, that guy...

Let’s see what is at the bottom of this rabbit hole (socialistdemocracy.org)

Screenshot of last tweet

Unite and UCU flags very prominent in this video from the TRA protest:

https://twitter.com/rs21Edinburgh/status/1776696389658968129

Tweet from the vice-president of UCU Scotland here, so presumably it's the union's official position to oppose women speaking about women's rights:

https://twitter.com/gbuttars/status/1776617824397447581

I can just imagine my colleagues suggesting we joined a union! I work in very white collar roles. It's not really the done thing, in fact many people hate the whole idea.

Putting aside the condescension, if this is the case, how do you have the time to be constantly on MN lecturing us horny handed daughters of toil?