UNISON’s women’s conference in Liverpool celebrated the power of working-class women’s collective strength - and trans inclusion

Is there anywhere that gender realist UNISON members can meet and gather? Or even ex members? I’m getting fed up of paying my subs, and working far, far above my pay grade as a rep and branch officer, to be told that I’m a bigot and must not speak about my beliefs.

So many women would not have their jobs if it wasn’t for my advice and assistance in my union role. But I left the Labour Party and they seemed to find people to deliver their leaflets and donate boring thankless jobs, so I expect UNISON will manage without me.

'its about raising the standards for everyone.
and at some point - they have got incredibly lost - but if you actually expect a very staunch feminist to lose her job and but her kids home at risk: - you need to go take a long hard look in the mirror:
I can sleep at night.'

@Whenindoubthugitout

Unbelievable that you would invite someone else to take a 'long hard look in the mirror'.

You're not a very staunch feminist. And you're not raising standards for anyone but yourself. You're a careerist handmaiden in complete denial. That's why you can sleep at night.

Plenty of women have left those "jobs" without losing their houses and being unable to feed their children. You just doubt your ability to earn the same wage elsewhere and it sounds like you probably should.

The trade unions have always been places where thickos and enablers can steal a living if they're willing to close their eyes to what really happens there.

They pay decent enough wages to women like you because they know you will play their games for them in return.
That's what you're actually doing. Shame on you.

'There should be no expectation the average Union will want to take the side of women over men. That isn't how the collective male left thinks.'

This is absolutely true.

I must admit, I am a bit shocked by some of the comments on here. Nobody can expect others to put their jobs at risk, it just isn't worth it. I was a whistleblower 25 years ago, against a large firm in the City. I put my entire livelihood at risk, including future employment. My wife even questioned why I did it. Well, it was because I was working in finance and the management were breaking the regulations. If I hadn't informed the regulating body and we were investigated, then I would have carried the blame, which may have included criminal charges.
So, to you and Whenindoubthugitout, don't risk your jobs, because Unison has around 1,200 staff and you would be tilting at windmills.

You can’t call a strike until you have agreement from
50%. We’re not there yet. You’re expecting us to risk losing our jobs for what result exactly?

No. It’s not - hth

its about raising the standards for everyone.
and at some point - they have got incredibly lost - but if you actually expect a very staunch feminist to lose her job and but her kids home at risk: - you need to go take a long hard look in the mirror:

I can sleep at night.

Yet again, that handy Queering of language, you can be an antisemitic misogynist who throws LGB people under the bus, & self-styled "Progressives" will laud you as a beacon of "kindness & inclusivity".

Isn’t ’risking jobs and livelihoods’ the whole point of the union movement - that everyone risks their job by standing together to force change in the hope/expectation that employers won’t want to lose their whole workforce? Isn’t that what striking is all about?

What do you mean by ‘gender realist’? That we should be ‘realistic’ about the oppression of women that is gender?

Thank you

So did I - i also no longer feel proud. The tu movement has lost its way.

PM me if you would like to x

You go right ahead - you are not placing your job at risk.
You have no idea how I have tried to advocate for change from the inside.there is a large contingent of women and men - working unison - who are trying to fight the system - but also keep our jobs.

If you want to take that out of my comment. You go right ahead. I know exactly how much i have done for this movement, I know how much its cost me, financially and emotionally -
but losing my house over it, it’s not a line I can cross. I have children to house and feed too.

This is really unfair. We’re up against the same issues as you. Expecting people to risk their jobs and livelihoods is unrealistic, we’re better off staying employed and trying to effect change from the inside as much as we can. It’s an absolutely awful position to be in having an employer actively working against your rights.

I work for a branch of Unison so I’m safer than you for the time being as the branch sec and Convenors are in agreement with me. Is there any underground network or anything I can do to get involved or help or just someone else to rant to? I used to be proud to work for Unison but my god I’m not anymore.

Perhaps some of you paying members need to step forward then? If nothing changes, nothing changes. It requires more effort than complaining for sure but members hold the power in a democratic process. Use it.

Agreed to a degree. But what if people vote for what they believe and try to induce change but they are in the minority? Even being slightly in the minority means the majorities views are adopted, but it doesn't mean they haven't tried.
@2pence

Oh I do get to judge . I am one of the many many female members who have been silenced by your union . My complaints silenced and called transphobic. Those claims backed up by handmaiden women union officials and paid women union employees. For what? Wanting privacy and dignity for women and girls? One day you will find you won't have anyone paying your membership.

@IwantToRetire good point above. Do you think we will ever get to a place where we can replace the somewhat derogatory term of gender critical with gender realist?

Mind is blown. How is this legal? It's outrageous. 😡

The judgement is based on ‘they pay my mortgage’. There may be very good reasons not to speak out more: because you feel it is better to make incremental progress than none at all; you are waiting for your moment; that you are making changes behind the scenes. If you give reasons like those then people would be grateful for your efforts. But your implication was that women are thrown under the bus and betrayed when they lose their jobs in order for you to pay your mortgage, which is the antithesis of the union movement.

What exactly are you judging??
that my employer takes a position from its members that I fundamentally do not agree with.
and I am told, it I actively try to disagree with it in public - I will lose my job?

I work tirelessly behind the scenes with members who believe the same as us. And I see how we/they are continually silenced.
and yet we keep going as far as we can, one member at a time, to overturn this ideology.

It’s not people like me you should be judging - it’s the 100’s of thousands of apathetic members who do absolutely nothing.

you are judging me?
what are you doing in your work place?

But we do get to judge.