TUC writes to Kemi to argue against any amendments to the Equality Act on the current definition of sex.

[ChristinaXYZ]

https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/do-not-make-amendments-equality-act-current-definition-sex-letter-kemi

Why women union members continue to apy subs to unions thaat don't respect women and are member of the TUc I do not know..

If you are fed up with your own union the non-TUC, politically independent trades union AFfinity is an alternative for teachers, lecturers, bank staff, IT consultants, financial advisers, academics, local government staff, lawyers and civil servants and many others

https://workaffinity.co.uk/

The TUC are rattled, aren't they. GOOD.

Well let's hope so - I just read it as arrogance on their part.

Further singing the praises of the attitudes of staff at Affinity

https://workaffinity.co.uk/defending-free-speech-in-universities-a-trade-union-you-can-trust/

Women need to vote with their wallets where union behaviour is concerned.

Oh dear it seems the trans network is calling in favours.

So not only do they have a petition with more signatures (still open) than the Sex Matters one (now closed) but the TUC and no doubt others will be making public statements.

Has anyone or any organisation written a public letter or statement supporting ammending the EA to say that references to sex mean biological sex?

Interesting that TUC have posted their letter under the “research” section of their website, but the letter doesn’t include any research, just a viewpoint.

Good point @LoobiJee I hadn't noticed that.

There is no evidence that this change is needed

Not true. See: single sex wards, prisons debacle, fitting rooms, Girl Guides, the big question mark hanging over trans-identified females' rights to maternity leave. I could go on.

We understand this advice has no legal standing

So you can just say what you like then, without having to be accountable. Brilliant.

The advice as sought by the Government, if enacted, could significantly set back our hard-won equality gains. It would mean that trans women would not be entitled to make equal pay claims, use appropriate toilets in the workplace, or make sex discrimination claims

Not true. And see above about trans-identified females' rights. Do they not count?

This would remove the ability of trans people to gain legal recognition of their gender identity.

False. We don't have "legal recognition of gender identity".

One in four British people is close to a trans person.

What data supports this statement?

It is crucial that trans and non-binary people continue to be protected at work and beyond

There are no protections in the event you call yourself "non-binary". It does not exist.

They are arguming aginst womne's rights. As a employment rights org they are useless. Still the old blokes' beer club mentality. What's changed?

"One in four British people is close to a trans person.

What data supports this statement?"

And even if it is true so what? Why does that mean women have to give up their rights? Complete non sequitur. And I would imagine close to 100% of BRitish people are close to women - what with them all having mothers.

This is a really good point.

And check their tweet. Replies shut off. Not much engagement:

twitter.com/tucequality/status/1651929762850390026?s=46&t=WHoOZ_3Kv5G6-FyQuvE0LQ

1476 views
16 retweets
3 quotes
24 likes

Dear TUC

Not surprising the TUC supports men's rights over women's. When Family Allowances were enacted the TUC opposed the measure since it paid money to the mother, not the father - Famly Allowance was a redirecting of money from the husband to the wife and the TUC saw it as undermining male wages.

This.

I am ashamed that I ever had anything to do with the left. It's an abusive relationship.

Really? I didn't know that. Dear God we've been taken for fools from the start.

Agree @HolodayPictures . I am becoming gradually more embarrassed that I ever voted Labour than that I am inevitably going to vote Tory next time.

(Cue strident tones from the tribal Labour supporters who don't know any Tories and think they are all Bad People and that Mirim Cates etc are all just 'doing it for the votes')

But keeping to my thread - that TUC missive really, really makes me angry with them and with the wider left. Between this and the awful antisemitic cartoon today that many of the Guardian's staff must have seen and okayed. The antisemitism and misogyny just are beyond my understanding.

I think they withdrew the cartoon? Lots of cracks about it being a "first draft" on Twitter.

Exactly

Also just looked up the cartoon. Depressing

Not ready to leave my very sector-specific union yet (after 40 years t'would be sad) but I better steel myself to write a letter.

I remember in my young union activist days arguing very crossly with the expression 'family wage' as yes, the assumption was that it was for men 😠. But that was in the 1980s.

Presumably if a TW is not receiving equal pay for equal work they can challenge discrimination b/c of the protected characteristic of gender reassignment? (Mentally drafting my letter here)

And likewise - trans men can make sex discrimination claims on the grounds of their biological sex, all trans people can say they're being discriminated against b/c of gender reassignment, right?.

And as for "appropriate toilets" .......

....who gets to define appropriate here, eh?

I don't think I will vote at all.

It's not just the sexism and gaslighting.

It's the whole woke agenda and destroy their political opponents with wage spiral strikes and the collateral damage doesn't matter. It's so Mao.

I actually hate the left now.

The EHRC said that if it isn’t biological sex then transmen get screwed over on equal pay. Just goes to show that they all know what sex people are and they don’t give a shit about women.

The ways in which it affects women that sex is not always seen in equality as biological sex are so many and so varied. They must see it but really just not care .Just like that flaming cartoon. Women don't really have a trades union movement - just the odd out lying orgnaisation like Affinity that might be useful.

I was surprised when I discovered it. I was researching a campaign for the right of married women to work and it came up.

All this. ^ And fairly sure at this point that Kemi, as the EHCR, is fully aware that all the content of the letter is arguing that they just let women's rights, homosexual rights, all the actual issues raised for other people^ go because TW. 'Fuck them' not really being something that can be encoded into the Equality Act, it's a problem that will have to be fixed by those capable of considering and meeting all needs, which the amendment would enable. Some mixed sex spaces. Some female only.

TW would not lose provision. They would need to respect that not all women's provision is for non-females, and that other people have inclusion and access needs too. That's not an unreasonable expectation.