Union campaigner to sue PCS

[IwantToRetire]

Ms Mackenzie believes that trans activism has become the de facto policy of her union and that it directly threatens women’s rights.

“I’d begun to notice a change in the nature of the motions in the equality section occurring around 2016,” she recalls. “When you’re on the National Standing Orders committee, you get a wide oversight of the state of the union. You’re seeing every motion from every branch and you have to determine if they’re competent and within the rules. I was the only female on it and there are no women on it now.

“Among those being put forward, there were suddenly many concerning trans rights. I began to fear some of the demands within these motions might be in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and carried the potential to bring the union into disrepute.

“Whenever I started to talk about issues from a woman’s perspective someone in meetings would always say ‘and transwomen’. But these were biological men. I assumed that more people would speak up. But as time passed I felt I needed to try to understand this ideology more.”
She says as the campaign by trans activists to cancel her award proceeded, it was accompanied by moves to humiliate her in public.

Full article at https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25342843.union-campaigner-cancelled-trans-rights-activists/ and also at https://archive.is/jQhaT

(Sorry if there is an existing thread about this. I did search but nothing came up. If there is already a thread can you post web link? Thanks)

Sorry the Herald is behind a paywall and the archive link did not work. I'd really like to find out more though!

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/sandie-peggie-case-sparks-lawsuit-35623904

"According to the Herald, Fiona Macdonald believes that PCS has been taken over by trans rights activists who have tried to destroy her life due to her gender critical beliefs. She has hired Ms Peggie's employment lawyer Margaret Gribbon to fight her case for her."

Wow, how awful for her, I hope her action will allow sunlight to be shone on these events, and these underhand, spiteful, tact's with menace are exposed. Not to mention the complete failure of the union officials to realise what is going on in their own unions.

Edit to say the archive link worked for me

Quite often if you "click" it doesn't work.

Just copy and paste web link.

Good for her!

@IwantToRetire Thanks for this. As a retired trade unionist it is shocking what has been going on, having managed to get women's rights on the agenda, we end up back where we started from.

I hope this case and our Sandies, against the RCN (fucking hang maidens) will put paid to this in the long run.

Archive link to The Herald's article: https://archive.ph/jQhaT

It’s worth subscribing to the Herald. It has excellent articles and journalists. Much better than the BBC!

I wonder how many similar #MeToo stories are waiting to be uncovered.

I'm not allowed to post my Crowdjustice link but you can find it under Why I am suing my trade union. Any ways of supporting me and or contributing would be very welcome.

A leading Scottish activist in Britain’s main civil service union is suing it because she claims it has discriminated against her protected beliefs.
Fiona Macdonald, who has been a member of the PCS union for more than 20 years, believes that it has been taken over by activists who support trans rights. She says they tried to destroy her life for her gender critical beliefs.
She has hired the leading employment lawyer Margaret Gribbon, who is representing nurse Sandie Peggie in her tribunal against NHS Fife, to act for her.
Ms Macdonald, who has held several leadership positions within the PCS, including its Scottish Government group, says she was subjected to a sustained campaign of hostility for defending women’s single-sex spaces.
When it was announced she was to be given the accolade of the union’s coveted distinguished service award three years ago at its annual conference in Brighton, Ms Macdonald says trans activists organised an unprecedented vote from the floor in a bid to prevent the award being handed over to her. She was given no warning that this was to happen.

She said: “I’m suing them because of my belief system. I believe in a materialist and collectivist approach to politics and this runs contrary to my beliefs. Someone needs to burst this bubble in the unions and I’m now prepared to do it.
“I’d contacted a lawyer before for advice but then dropped it. Who wants to take action against their own union?
“Then recently, a friend of mine died and it prompted me to change my mind. She had also been an active trade unionist, but had found herself hounded and humiliated for her beliefs.
“The Supreme Court ruling [on single sex spaces] aligned with my perspective and yet my union issued a statement rejecting it. When I saw what was happening to Sandie Peggie, it made up my mind.”
Nurse Sandie Peggie was suspended over the changing room row. (Image: PA)Ms McDonald added that “a climate of fear” now exists inside the PCS. “A lot of women were terrified and we were meeting in secret, in people’s kitchens and by Zoom. They were losing their jobs and their positions in the union. They were being hounded.”
Ms Macdonald’s solicitor, Margaret Gribbon of McGrade Employment Solicitors in Glasgow, said: “Trade unions, like employers, must comply with their duties under the Equality Act. That means they must not discriminate against members who hold gender critical or sex realists beliefs.
“Trade unions who are actively and publicly disassociating themselves with this lawful protected belief by, for instance, openly criticising the Supreme Court’s decision in FWS may find it more difficult to defend litigations raised by members claiming they have been harassed or refused union assistance for holding and/or manifesting sex realist beliefs."
Ms Macdonald’s action against the PCS Union comes after it was revealed that Sandie Peggie is raising a similar action against her own Union, the Royal College of Nursing. Two other members of the RCN told The Herald they have also faced intimidation and discrimination for their sex-realist beliefs.
A spokesperson for the PCS said: “PCS notes that this matter may be the subject of litigation. Accordingly, we will not be offering any comment at this time.

I really hope she wins and puts a rocket up all of these unions. And that women like K Stock sue for the return of their subs, after being shafted by them.

I left PCS over their stance on this. I just couldn’t stomach my money going to work against women in this way. They published ‘transwomen are women’ and ‘we will not tolerate transphobia’ letter to all members a while ago, but had to retract it and apologise. Funnily enough, the retraction letter wasn’t as widely disseminated as the first letter.

does anyone know the date of this tribunal?

As we cant share fundraisers can only suggest you search using the phrase Why I am suing my Trade Union by Fiona Macdonald which has updates.

But doesn't look like there are any dates.

I think that the money needs to be raised in order for the case to proceed. Piece in The Telegraph 23/9/25

Cancelled for rejecting trans ideology, this trade unionist is fighting back

It's shameful really. None of this should be necessary. First women have to sort out the NHS, and now they have sort out the trades unions? Virtually all of them seem to be content to trample all over over women, even those with a majority female membership.

Kale planted, good source of iron.

Trade Unions have always been run by men, for men. Women's rights have never been their priority.

Historically, they have an ingrained tendency to sell their female members out, and to preserve sex-based wage differentials based on valuing male strengths ovdr female ones.

Thanks for your interest and I'm Fiona. My crowdfunder is doing well but any way of helping to boost it would be very helpful. So if you find it please share it so I can take my case forward.

Gardening done! I left my union a good few years back as their attitude towards women members was poor and it seems to have got even worse.

Also planted a few seeds.

Good luck - so important to challenge the Unions.

Bumpity bump.

I've already donated Fiona. I'd love to see unison taken to tribunal on this topic, especially unison scotland so I can see my so called friend squirm on the stand as he's the most likely person to be called to defend unison scotland's approach.

Giving this a bump as the priminary hearing date is set for 6th May, and there is still fundraising needed.

It was so stark in the last case re NHSE and Faye how much "the unions told us to do it" was spouted as an attempted get out clause. They have such a lot to answer for.