Unison Women's Conference motion "trans women are women" as nurses battle NHS for single sex facilities

[IwantToRetire]

the Unison motion, put forward by the union’s Camden branch, asserts that “trans women are women and trans men are men”.

It goes on to denounce the idea that allowing trans women to access female spaces will mean women lose rights and claims women have “a vested interest in standing alongside our trans comrades”.

Unison’s national women’s conference, to begin in Edinburgh on Thursday, is expected to pass a call to produce a “myth-busting factsheet” which would “counter the idea” that trans and women’s rights are ever in conflict.

The motion, which insiders said they believed would likely pass, states that “gender-critical groups and individuals often organise around women-only spaces and the idea that trans people having rights means that women will lose rights.”

It adds “women’s rights are not diminished by trans people having more rights” and calls for literature to be created “to counter the idea that an increase in trans rights would mean a decrease in the rights of others”.

Just extracts - full story here https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/09/trade-union-accused-betraying-women-pushing-trans-agenda/
and here https://archive.is/pG6IV

To be fair that would solve matters to everyone's* satisfaction

*everyone who matters

/sarcasm

It's not possible to solve matters to everyone's satisfaction when some people want there to be some women's spaces which are not inclusive of any male people and some other people want there to be no women's spaces which aren't inclusive of trans women.

Once you understand that you must choose between giving some women what they say they want and need, and some men who identify as women what they say they want and need, if you choose the men you can't really claim to be a feminist.

All those women who fought for union representation / equal pay / not to be discriminated against when pregnant - and this is what they get.
A union woman wibbling on about TWAW, women (as usual) being required to listen, and not a single sentence of acknowledgement for the courage Sandie and all the other women fighting for safe, single sex spaces display.
Still - having seen the behaviour of the bros in charge at Unison & the other unions, not really surprising is it?

She's a great advert for union women transferring to Affinity or other women centred organisations for employment support.

She’s worked at unison since 1993 so she’s had a nice cosy Union job for the majority of her working career.

she hasn’t a fucking clue

That article was a lesson in how to say lots without actually saying anything

Paid off the backs of so many low paid women workers now being used to provide validation for this influential group of men.

What it said was mostly bad:

"I've got several friends through the union that in every aspect of their life, they can't walk out through the door without getting discriminated against, right up to violence against them. And that’s a reality.

Some men like beating up other men wearing dresses. Awful! Solution control male violence. Nothing much to do with women.

"Equally, I know there are women in our union who feel strongly about ensuring that there is still a safe place for women, and as a women's organisation we would absolutely support that. I find it amazing that we can't find a way through this, and we would be happy to work with employers on this."

Women feel strongly about having single sex spaces because of male violence. The same issue as in first example. Solution control male violence.

Ms McAnea said she did not know why “suddenly it's become such a massive issue”.
She said: "None of us are defined by our genitals. We're all people and we all do things in a different way. It just feels that we're focusing on things that perhaps aren't necessarily a problem. But if they are a problem for some people, then let's deal with it."

Why is it an issue?
The "different way" includes Male violence which is a real problem. It is defined by male bodies.* * It is why we have so many police, prisons etc etc. It is a problem for everyone who doesn't want rampant crime and assault. Which includes most men. Male violence/criminality is real. Bodies are real.

Oh they are just taking this piss now

https://www.research.net/r/nursingsafety

nursing times & unison partnering to research violence against nurses at work

I’ve got several friends through the union that in every aspect of their life, they can't walk out through the door without getting discriminated against, right up to violence against them. And that’s a reality.

you absolute fuckwit Christina - that’s 95% of women every single day. For fucks fucking sake

Most TUs have a very poor history when it comes to supporting women in the workplace, and it’s not really got a lot better.

The more Marxist-leaning members will spout rhetoric about equality but will do little to actually bridge the gender pay gap, nor will they take action against those men in leadership roles who abuse female colleagues. Some of the bigger Unions have campaigned against NDA clauses for whistleblowers whilst forcing them onto their own officials and members, often to stop them speaking out about fraud and sexual abuse.

The concept of Trade Unionism is important, but most modern TUs aren’t worth the name.

As per several pp, I've been a union member for years and have just sent our rep (lovely, fairly out there feminist from all accounts) an email explaining why I'm leaving and cancelling my membership. She will be in no doubt that I'm also telling everyone I know about this...

My dilemma is that my workplace (local authority) only recognises Unison, Unite and GMB and the other 2 don't look much better ☹️ Has anyone got experience of going rogue with a union not recognised in their workplace?

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24628298.darlington-trans-nurses-set-new-union-amid-legal-action/

There is the newly formed Darlington Nurses' Union, although I can't find a website for them.

'The union is founded by nurses working at Day Surgery Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital. However, the rules of the Union permit membership applications from anyone working in the UK who agrees with its foundational principles, which are as follows:

1. Equality and respect for all workers regardless of their protected characteristics (including both gender reassignment and biological sex).
2. Securing and defending workers’ rights, dignity and decency at the workplace (including in particular access to safe single-sex areas for changing and hygiene, and protecting women from inappropriate exposure to members of the opposite biological sex).
3. The right to raise concerns about any genuine workplace issues without fear of retribution, and to have such concerns addressed promptly, constructively and reasonably.'

As for non-recognised unions - I'm no expert, Jay. But the union can apply for stat recognition if the employer refuses to recognise them:

'The union can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for ‘statutory recognition’ if [the empoyer does] not agree to recognise them voluntarily.
CAC will accept the trade union’s application for recognition if it meets the requirements, unless [the employer] challenge[s] the application.'

https://www.gov.uk/trade-union-recognition-employers/statutory-recognition

Shockingly, Unite makes the case for the erosion of women's rights so clear....

This essentially says for a trans person to achieve pension rights which equate to their gender (ie. Women retiring at a younger age) the employer will need to see a GRA certificate to offer "proof". However, access to women's loos/changing rooms etc don't need any "proof" at all. They can't make it any clearer. Unite are not a respecter of women, their safety or their spaces. Employer pension pots on the other hand must be protected from these pesky men pretending to be women...

And every single one of their case studies in the trans section is a trans woman.

I like this. It includes:
It has always been understood across the trade unions and the left that equality for women is inextricably linked to class struggle but that level of understanding is being broken down by gibberish produced by the likes of Judith Butler and other modern-day sophists. The shallow analysis of identity politics is not sufficient to enable the working class to identify the true source of our oppression, arm us with the knowledge or the methods to mount an effective and united political and industrial struggle.
….
The sex industry readily opens its doors to impoverished women who then end up being further exploited. That prostitution is now reframed as “liberating” and as “a legitimate form of work” tells us everything we need to know about the levels of misogyny that is deeply embedded in our movement.
Helen O’Connor is a GMB organiser writing in a personal capacity.

Morning Star is now the only leftwing or liberal news source I would trust on these issues.

My account was dormant so looks like I’m new to here but I’m not. New username.

This is why I resigned my membership after decades of paying unison dues back in 22.
I have now joined Affinity.
My local Unison rep for women had discreet conversations with me, was completely in agreement, but had to be careful what she pushed back on as it was driven from HQ. She was scared. That made the decision even easier as it was clear bullying was happening. Her rationale (which I understood) was that by staying in she could push back within to some extent. I wrote a clear resignation email to local branch and HQ outlining my reasons and I just got back the standard reply. They know, they are choosing to ignore women. They will never share or publish figures of how many women have resigned due to this reason. I pushed back on two things locally at work. In the end I did it without the union but directly with senior management and got positive results on both. First issue with unisex toilets, result being they were reverted back to male and female toilets single use with a stand alone unisex toilet. The other issue around language being used in the organisation’s written briefings: eg “people with cervixes” in comparison to “men with prostate cancer” in the Movember briefings. It was uncomfortable and I was a bit concerned as there was initial aggressive response to my challenge, but using clear pointers from Sex Matters in emails with senior management I got the results as it’s clearly what the law says.
Unison have been such a disappointment to me. Not local reps, but this idiocy is from the top. Where is their integrity? I’d always been proud to be a union member and so was glad to find Affinity, but in real terms they can’t fight the bigger issues only personal as they don’t have the numbers and representatives, but to keep loyal to my principles, I’ve joined them and they’re now my union. Onwards and upwards I guess. Keep pushing back. Calm, steady and consistent.

Details of affinity here https://workaffinity.co.uk/ The Darlington nurses cant get help from them as they have an ongoing issue but could use their paid for service. Maybe once their case has gone through the courts they can merge with Affinity.

I didn't really want to read past

The Scotsman asked Ms McAnea whether a woman should have a right to a single-sex space, such as a changing room, which excludes trans women or those born male.
She said: "I think it's hard to come down hard and fast on some of this.

No it fucking isn't, Christina!

Ms McAnea said she did not know why “suddenly it's become such a massive issue”.

Words fail. 😡

You have to worry about all of Unison's decision making processes if this is their reasoning.

"I just cannot believe it's not within the grasp of managers in a big organisation to find a way through this that both satisfies the need to ensure that trans women aren't discriminated against, and ensures that the voices of women who have got concerns about some of these things are listened to and heard.”

The reason for excluding Beth Upton from the changing room is sex, not the PC of gender reassignment.

"As unions, we all have a responsibility to try and make sure that we find a way through this, where we ensure there is no discrimination - and whatever anybody might tell you, trans women are hugely discriminated against.
"I've got several friends through the union that in every aspect of their life, they can't walk out through the door without getting discriminated against, right up to violence against them. And that’s a reality."

Yes. Men can suffer discrimination too. That does not give them an entitlement to use women's resources and services.

Similarly, a woman can't use a disabled parking space because her employer has an unfair pay policy.

I also suspect that she is using the word 'hear the voice of women' to mean 'silence the voices of women'.

She's saying we should listen to women - then tell them their concerns are not important and we prioritise men who want to be women.

I expect she’s only interested in hearing the voices of women who already agree with her

Also it’s impossible to know if this is true trans women are hugely discriminated against.
"I've got several friends through the union that in every aspect of their life, they can't walk out through the door without getting discriminated against, right up to violence against them. And that’s a reality."

because (apart from the hyperbole ‘can’t walk out the door without getting discriminated against’ I mean really??) unison and their ilk would class TW not being able to access anything & everything designed for women whenever they want it as “discrimination” and it’s not, it’s that those things are not for them

If she genuinely believes health and safety legislation is wrong, shouldn't she be campaigning for a change in the law, not encouraging employers and employees to ignore the law?

Men can suffer discrimination too. That does not give them an entitlement to use women's resources and services. Similarly, a woman can't use a disabled parking space because her employer has an unfair pay policy.

Thanks for this beautifully neat and clear simile, @Merrymouse. You’ve really summed it up. I’m going to use this in future.

Women don’t cause whatever terrifying problems supposedly happen in men’s loos. So we’re not responsible for solving them.

She said: "None of us are defined by our genitals."

Actually we are.

Our life chances and opportunities at birth very much are influenced by our genitals.

This is demonstrable in huge numbers of data and figures - from life expectancy, causes of death, to career choices, to caring responsibilities, to life long health conditions and injuries, to rates of violence against the person...

If only everyone was this thick.

Her job exists for the benefit of her power tripped ego and bank balance and not the people she represents.

I joined Unison about over 15 years ago when I went into management and saw how shite our RCN rep was in formal meetings.

I’d always encouraged staff to jo8n a union and used to have membership application forms in my office.

It was good to able to move over to their specific managers branch for staff at 8a and above as that helps to avoid any conflict for local reps.

https://www.miphealth.org.uk.

I don’t want to have to leave my union and would rather fight from within if possible.

Good luck with that oh wonderful user name 😊Cynical me suggests that the senior union officers (including women) are enjoying their well paid salaries while literally stomping on women and their rights. They're not going anywhere and ethics, women's rights and safeguarding the vulnerable won't get a look in compared to the demands of this niche yet powerful group of men determined to eradicate women's boundaries.

Sorry but the bullying men have the seat at the union table with their enablers - not women.