Is this a genuine attempt to unionise workers in DV services or a trans front to continue the attack on women's sex based rights?

[stumbledin]

ormed as part of the independent trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW), the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) union is a feminist and trans-inclusive union fighting for fair pay and contracts, limits to caseloads, inclusive workplace and frontline service policies, and an end to endemic workplace bullying.

Formed by workers from several prominent organisations within the sector and describing itself as a feminist, anti-racist, trans-inclusive, trauma-informed and intersectional union.

“I joined UVW because I want to make our sector trans-inclusive. A lot of VAWG organisations have really vague or openly transphobic policies to avoid their duties under the Equality Act. A lot of workers like me want to support trans women and make sure they can access services, but management are standing in our way. A union that is trans-inclusive can push for policy change and shows our support and solidarity for trans colleagues and service users.*”

www.uvwunion.org.uk/news/workers-launch-trade-union-group-for-gbv-vawg-sectors

Apparently this was published on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Action Against Violence Against women.

I hadn't seen anything about this union, and it was only because someone posted a link to a newspaper article that I found the press release.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/domestic-violence-women-girls-migrants-hostile-environment-bullying-union-a9237096.html

It appears to be another astroturf lobbying organization that wants to persuade governments to codify their gender beliefs into law.

Apart from the language there is the fact that they have only named the more widely known DV groups:

Solace Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis South London, Refuge, Women and Girls Network, The Nia Project

and obviously if these organisations become intersectional, trans inclusive, pro sex work organistions it will put real pressure on smaller low profile groups - and of course be effectively part of the back lash against women's liberation activists who first forumulated and then formed refuges and rape crisis lines.

(I am aware that Refuge had been publicly identified as having bad employment practices, and after investigation and restructuring has supposedly reformed. www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/former-employees-at-domestic-abuse-charity-warn-of-toxic-workplace-culture.html )

Well there's a conflict between being trans-inclusive and trauma-informed, interesting to know how they will manage that.

But things are pretty stressful in the sector with public sector cuts affecting the organisations themselves and women who use them, and a pressure to keep costs low in order to win and keep contracts through procurement.

It's a shame the two issues have been linked.

My local rape crisis has cheerily announced that it's trans-inclusive without seeming to understand the issues.

feminist, anti-racist, trans-inclusive, trauma-informed and intersectional union.

It's word-salad. Feminist contradicts trans-inclusive. Trans-inclusive, if it means transwomen, contradicts trauma-informed. Intersectional feminist is already anti-racist, and transmen-inclusive too.

Not affiliated to the TUC:
www.tuc.org.uk/unions

However, UVW is registered with the Government Certification Officer, so is an officially recognised Trade Union:

"This document contains the names of all trade unions entered on the list maintained by the Certification Officer under section 3 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. It also contains the names of all trade unions known to the Certification Officer that meet the statutory definition of a trade union but that have not sought to be on his list."

About the list

Entry in the list means no more than that the body concerned satisfies the statutory definition of a trade union and has applied to be listed.

Any trade union may apply to the Certification Officer to have its name included in the official list. Listing is an essential preliminary to any application for a certification of independence. For more information on the process of listing, the definition of a trade union and to see whether or not a particular trade union has a certification of independence, please see chapter 1 and appendices 1 and 1a of the Certification Officer’s annual report.

Trade unions which are not officially listed appear on the schedule to the list. They are referred to as ‘scheduled’ unions."

www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-list-of-active-trade-unions-official-list-and-schedule/trade-unions-the-current-list-and-schedule

Legal definition of a Trade Union for purposes of Certification:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/52/section/1

Meaning of “trade union".

In this Act a “trade union” means an organisation (whether temporary or permanent)—

(a)which consists wholly or mainly of workers of one or more descriptions and whose principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers of that description or those descriptions and employers or employers’ associations;

or

(b)which consists wholly or mainly of—

(i)constituent or affiliated organisations which fulfil the conditions in paragraph (a) (or themselves consist wholly or mainly of constituent or affiliated organisations which fulfil those conditions),
or
(ii)representatives of such constituent or affiliated organisations,
and whose principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers and employers or between workers and employers’ associations, or the regulation of relations between its constituent or affiliated organisations.

-------

There are other trade unions operating in the same sectors as UVW, of course:

TUC "Union Finder"

www.tuc.org.uk/join-union

• if nothing relevant turns up that suits then there is a form to contact the TUC for further help:

A lot of VAWG organisations have really vague or openly transphobic policies to avoid their duties under the Equality Act.

Tells you all you need to know. No organisation working in the violence against women sector has a duty under the Equality Act to include males who identify as trans in their service as either survivor, volunteer or staff. The sector and its provisions for women and children who have suffered male violence are explicitly included in the sex-based exemptions that allow otherwise unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex. Anyone who wishes to change this is directly working against the needs of traumatised survivors.