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

Well - until you have walked a mile in my shoes - you don’t get to judge.

That is point though - the most vocal members who are heard are those who have been granted that voice by the union itself. Others are silenced.

Yes, but most deeply engaged trade unionists tend also to be highly politically motivated activists. Those that go to conferences are motivated -by definition.

So as long as you are ok then that's fine then? Listen we all have a mortgage/rent and family to raise etc but we don't all stay quiet to keep our jobs. You are in a privileged position in that you are saying you are employed by a trade union ? In that case, why are you not speaking out for women? You know those women that pay your wages ? I paid subs for years and I left because I was sickened by the complete lack of respect from Unison. I know of loads of women who feel the same. I know you are only one woman but you don't get a free pass cos you are scared to lose your job.

Exactly. I attempted to do this several times and had several handmaidens report me for twansphobia. Recently, I had a told a Unison branch secretary why I left his union and he reported me to my boss ! Said I had a hostile attitude !🤣 (My boss didn't care!🤣 Wasn't anything to do with my work practice) So much for solidarity eh? And the Branch Secretary is a manager of course .

Well - i tell you what.

they pay my salary - my mortgage and keep my children fed. So it’s not quite as easy as that.

don’t for one second think there is not dotting happening under the radar. But basically - it’s shut down at all levels.

Feck them all . All the subs and time I paid into that lot for years . Bunch of chancers . Another handmaiden.

I think it was 2024, when Steve North the president of Unison, accused the Darlington nurses of "anti trans bigotry". The Royal College of Nursing also failed to support them.

https://christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/royal-college-of-nursing-faces-backlash-for-refusing-to-act-in-christian-nurse-case-involving-transgender-paedophile/

https://christianconcern.com/news/j-k-rowling-slams-trade-union-president-after-he-accuses-darlington-nurses/

Unions act on what their members tell them they want. Become the largest, loudest collective voice or withdraw funding, end your membership, remove your subscription fees and make sure you tell them why you left.

On paper, a sensible and effective choice, in reality, it’s really not possible.
the trans train runs deep.

there are many members of staff and members of the union who wholeheartedly are against this, but have been told to be quiet.

I was told it would be difficult for me to keep my job if I made a noise about it,

@2pence yes you are correct the Darlington nurses did do something and it worked. They were originally members of unions - unions that refused to support them in favour of supporting the rights of a man who declared himself female. Working class people fought hard for unions to support them. Sandie Peggie, Darlington Nurses did not get the support from unions. Trans ideaology has infiltrated every part of society and the ‘no debate’ mantra means anyone with gender realist views are deemed to be unkind. Unions need to support everybody and that includes biological women.

The Darlington Nurses did something. They acted, things changed because they acted.

You can harness your collective power. You can make your voice the loudest. Or you can give up because what’s the point, nothing changes eh? Only one option will change anything.

Seymour Millen is a comms official for Unison. He has also responsible for a group in Brighton and Hove knocking on doors asking residents to boycott products from Israel. It’s all dressed up as ‘be kind’ but I find it uncomfortable.

https://news.sky.com/story/the-english-city-where-volunteers-go-door-to-door-telling-people-to-stop-buying-israeli-products-13505817

The Darlington nurses formed their own union because they couldn't get any support from their union. This seems to be the only answer to all the unions being anti women.

https://x.com/DarlingtonUnion

"Mock", certainly, risible content elicts its inevitable result.
The rest? You seriously over-estimate the energy you arouse.

Lovely that we’re supporting women here isn’t it? I’ve given some factual advice on the collective power you all hold. If all you’ve got is insults about my naivety…Summer Child…Up the Wooden Hill…then frankly you don’t have what it takes to bring change and advocate for others and I apologise that my words have triggered your own feelings of inadequacy to the point that you need to mock and attack and try to belittle me. Hope you get some sleep yourself tonight.

Nobody as naive as you should be up this late @2pence.
Up the wooden hill with you.

Then change it. Nominate someone who won’t do this, attend the AGM, vote for THEM.

The most active and vocal members get their voice heard, be THAT member.

Use your vote, maybe stand up yourself if another member will nominate you.

Or just remain complaining how corrupt and unfair it all is amongst yourselves, do none of the above and get what you’ve always got.

Up to you.

Birmingham's only one of several Councils who made shabby backroom deals with Unions to favour The Lads. Female workers eventually had to take their employers & their Unions to Court.

Then there's the Monaghan Report, AFAICS nothing has improved at the GMB since that damning document.

Remember when Unite, Unison & the GMB voted as a bloc against a motion upholding women's existing sex-based rights at the 2024 Scottish Labour Conference? The motion had good CLP support & would have passed without that reflexive Union deference to male demands.

I actually spent a fair bit of my life in the West Country, so I get that, @KitWyn ! 😀

Agreed. Sexism on the right centres on a woman being the property of an individual man. Sexism on the left centres on the women within a group being the collective property of the men within that group.

Growing up in the West Country, I went to some 'Young Farmers' (close proxy for Tories) and some 'Young Socialists' events. (There was very little entertainment on offer in my remote cluster of villages.)

The 'Young Farmers' were quite women-friendly. They had young women in positions of responsibility, and any unwanted romantic interest was fairly easily rebuffed. Not perfect, but much better than expected.

The Young Socialists were, in contrast, pompous & righteously earnest. There were no women on its board, and the young men seemed to think a liberal attitude to sex was obligatory for all leftwing females. Rejection was met with fury/disbelief.

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.

Democratic where the winning candidate for leadership was able to contact members using the membership list many more times than other candidates?

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.