"After some very moving contributions, TUC unanimously supports gender self-declaration"

[R0wantrees]

Comment by Ian Murch, Treasurer at National Union Of Teachers section of National Education Union

twitter.com/ianmurch/status/1039470003920293888

Lucy Masood:
"Proud of the FBU and PaulEmbery for ensuring that we did not vote to support the GRA Self ID resolution at the TUC today. The FBU cares and listens to its female members"

twitter.com/luluchops1/status/1039475527139164160

I think this is exactly the kind of thing that needs to go to branch. If you're in a union put this on the branch agenda and explain what is going on. Ask your union to explain why the TUC alphabet crew can propose a motion like this that hasn't been discussed. Was it just a giant game of chicken, and everyone assumed they had to vote Yes and that's what everyone else is doing? Or did they just get a few sob stories and decide on the day?
Regardless of the topic, this is entirely undemocratic. 20% of the population support self-id. No reason to believe union members' percentage would be higher. Members don't know what this is about. The TUC alphabet crew - do they only talk to the individual unions' alphabet crews or do they not even consult them?
What percentage of the alphabet crews are covered by the umbrella? Bearing in mind the York LGBT lot who did the plaque were majority trans...

Nothing on Unison either. So the big two haven't even admitted they've passed this stupid motion

Turph - it's my impression from the tweet I linked above that UNISON spoke in favour and voted that way (but that might not be what you mean if you're looking for confirmation from a non-individual's Unison account). See support for this interpretation from the congratulations of a "Nurse Specialist in the NHS; NEC of unisontweets; Exec of LGBTLabour; Founder of LabourCID":

twitter.com/JamesAnthonyRN/status/1039479614563860480

It will be interesting to see if any union joined FBU in abstaining.

I am not in a union as self employed but it might be best to keep hold of membership and make a massive noise than just leave. I did suggest leaving in a different post but it was a bit knee jerk. Can't change things on the outside.

Money talks.

I'm walking with my money.

I can always rejoin.

It will be interesting to see how many members leave over this.

Kiri Tunks spoke against this at the NUT/NEU conference but lost the debate, the NEU came out as fully in favour of self Id. Kiri Has not been no-platform Ed or excluded for her views, so they are not as intolerant as some, but there was a ‘silent protest’ against her being voted president. She is active in a Woman’s Place.

I recently applied to review NUT approved PSHE material so whuch included the gender unicorn and educating children about sex and gender through studying clown fish (I kid you not). I doubt I’ll be invited on to the committee after what I put on the application form...

I wonder if we could form a specific teachers group to fight this in schools? My school is luckily pretty same on this but I am so worried. I gave my Head and PSHE lead the transgender trend schools pack but feel so impotent now.

The teaching unions are cutting their own throats - don’t they remember Roy Moore? Unfortunately Roy is no longer on twitter, he used to be RoyNUT but I can’t find him.
Are they now going to let teachers be sacked for misgendering rather than defending them?
Just when we think we are getting somewhere, it’s one step forward, two back 😡

I was considering rejoining my union on the off chance that I needed support in a disciplinary case for wrong think, depending how far down the rabbit hole we descend with this. There doesn't seem to be any point if they've all the unions have already drunk the potion and pulled up a chair with the Mad Hatter.

I've had a substantial dinner and cake, so I'm a marginally less furious than I was when I got home from work because I've excluded hangry from the equation. But I am still fucking livid. I thought I'd hit rock bottom about 6 months post-Trump when I was still festering about Brexit, but I had no idea how much lower I could go. Society just does not give a shit about women. I had a good rant about it earlier to DH and he said he was also appalled. I am only relieved at this point that I don't have daughters because otherwise I don't think I'd sleep at night, but I do have a niece and I care very much about the young women and girls coming up behind me. This erosion of women's rights has to stop.

educating children about sex and gender through studying clown fish (I kid you not)

FFS. I bet that's inspired by that brain dead "science teacher" viral FB post.

arranfan
Sorry was watching that Parker rant vid. My point was that the rank and file not at conference will be getting a flurry of updates from their union about what is happening and what's been passed etc but nothing on this. It's has not been broadcasted the way you'd expect an "Equalities" motion to have been

It will be interesting to see how many members leave over this. Probably very few. My experience, fwiw, is that people join a union for local issues (pay talks, representation etc) not their political stance. Hence why bringing it up in branch meetings would be so powerful

littlbrowndog

Never trusted them anyroads. Run by men for men

Says it all.

Turph wrote: It's has not been broadcasted the way you'd expect an "Equalities" motion to have been

Thanks for the clarification.

Again, I have to ask, where is the procedural justice with transparency and accountability built-in to the union's governance?

Again, I have to ask, where is the procedural justice with transparency and accountability built-in to the union's governance?
I'm a union member, and an ex-rep for this and a previous union. I get stacks of emails and my workplace has union notice boards. I talk to reps all the time. Nobody has mentioned this at any point, and the topic is valid as we've had to deal with the related issues. I won't go into more detail than that.
I'm not saying "if I didn't hear about it, there was no consultation", but if someone like me who works in a unionised workplace and takes an active interest had no clue, you can bet other members definitely had no clue.
Union members, email your branch secretary and ask for this to be put on the agenda for your next branch meeting - then make sure you go to that meeting. I'd focus on the lack of consultation with members.

If the TUC said they supported a motion to invade Belgium I'd expect most members to have an inkling they were considering it.

I would like to contact NEU and my MP about self ID. Is there a template letter laying out concerns yet?

Nothing from Unite on social media yet. I have just sent them a PM on Facebook. If they confirm they voted for it I will withdraw my membership and explain why.

Trinity I can 100% confirm unite voted for it.

Is it worth a union member posting this on AIBU/Chat? Explaining what happened and their disappointment at the lack of consultation?

Another disappointed union member here. I might write into my union (Unite) and ask what their policy is in relation to self ID and why they felt they could support this motion without consulting women members.

Arran that's an excellent suggestion.

We need a new social and political union of our own
You're right. We need an active women's union
Strike.
broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/gyxbw3/no-rights-no-sex-the-powerful-history-of-women-going-on-strike

I wonder if we could form a specific teachers group to fight this in schools? My school is luckily pretty same on this but I am so worried. I gave my Head and PSHE lead the transgender trend schools pack but feel so impotent now.

Sounds interesting...

The motion was unopposed. There were only brave and stunning speakers, I believe.

Another Unite member here. Looks like I'm about to save myself some more money, I've already left the Labour Party over this. I just won't support an organisation that is working to destroy my rights and betraying half the population. Not to mention the sheer stupidity involved. The pathetic Momentum video summed up their stance. They haven't distinguished between this issue and gay rights, because they don't take sexual politics seriously enough to actually educate themselves on the detail.

Unite member here. In my region, at least, they did consult but only with their LGBT+ distribution list (which I’m on, and I responded accordingly). I don’t think they consulted female members at all.