A major trade union has been accused of sidelining gender-critical voices after tabling a pro-trans motion at its women’s conference – a move that coincides with a high-profile employment tribunal where an NHS nurse is fighting for the right to single-sex spaces.
Unison, which represents 1.3 million public sector workers, is set to debate a motion declaring that “trans women are women and trans men are men” at its national women’s conference in Edinburgh this week.
The motion, which insiders believe is likely to pass, dismisses the idea that trans-inclusion policies erode women’s rights, insisting that “women’s rights are not diminished by trans people having more rights”. It also calls for a “myth-busting factsheet” to “counter the idea that an increase in trans rights would mean a decrease in the rights of others”.
The timing has prompted backlash from some Unison members, who argue that gender-critical voices are being increasingly marginalised within the union.
Many trans-rights campaigners argue that a person’s self-declared gender identity trumps biological sex and that anyone who identifies as a woman is one, and therefore should be able to access women’s spaces, services, and rights. Gender-critical feminists, on the other hand, argue that sex is an immutable biological reality, distinct from gender identity, and that women’s single-sex spaces exist to protect privacy, dignity, and safety. They contend that allowing male-born individuals access to these spaces – particularly in contexts such as prisons, refuges, and hospital wards – undermines hard-won legal protections under the Equality Act 2010.
Critics say the motion, put forward by the union’s Camden branch, fails to acknowledge ongoing legal disputes over single-sex spaces – including the case of Sandie Peggie, an NHS nurse who is suing NHS Fife over its policy of allowing Dr Beth Upton, a male-born doctor who identifies as female to access female changing rooms.
Ms Peggie claims she faced discrimination and harassment as a result of being forced to use female facilities in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, with a colleague she considers male, which the health board and Dr Upton deny.
The case centres around Dr Upton’s presence in the changing rooms, which the health board permitted, but which Ms Peggie insists was not appropriate. Following a confrontation initiated by Ms Peggie in the changing rooms, she was suspended from work and investigated for bullying. There is no suggestion of any unwanted conduct from Dr Upton, who has been described as a competent and caring doctor.
While the wider debate over trans rights and single-sex spaces remains contentious, members say the deeper issue is whether gender-critical perspectives are being silenced within Unison and other public institutions.
One delegate attending the conference, a social worker, said it was “shameful and naive” for Unison to deny that self-ID policies could put women at risk.
“It saddens me that Unison, which has 75 per cent female membership, has as its first motion at its women’s conference one that seeks to undermine Equality Act protections for women,” she said.
“The other issue here is attempts within Unison to shut down discussions of this issue. Women who are concerned that our rights are under threat are being silenced, forced to whisper in the shadows. It is Orwellian.”
Despite being a women’s conference, Unison has produced guidance stating that anyone ‘identifying as a woman’ is eligible to attend – even if they are still presenting as male at work.
Unison’s decision to prioritise this motion at a women’s conference, and without reference to Ms Peggie’s legal fight or similar concerns raised by gender-critical women, has raised broader questions about ideological conformity in trade unions. Critics warn that major unions are increasingly refusing to accommodate gender-critical viewpoints, despite their legal protections under the Equality Act 2010.
The National Education Union (NEU) has faced similar concerns. In 2022, a leaked draft policy obtained by the Free Speech Union (FSU) revealed an expansive definition of “transphobia” that included refusing to use preferred pronouns or even expecting trans people to participate in discussions about their rights. The policy framed gender-critical beliefs as inherently harmful, without clarifying what counted as “misinformation.” After public scrutiny, the NEU backed away from the most extreme provisions, but the episode raised fears that gender-critical teachers could face disciplinary action simply for expressing their legally protected beliefs.
Unison has also taken a hard line on gender-critical views. At its 2022 local government conference, it passed a motion pledging to combat so-called “gender-critical narratives”, distributing materials that conflated gender-critical perspectives with far-right extremism. Critics saw this as an attempt to entrench ideological orthodoxy within the union, actively marginalising members who hold lawful, biologically rooted views on sex and gender.
Ms Peggie’s legal battle has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over free expression and sex-based rights. Supporters argue that public sector workplaces and trade unions alike are creating a climate where gender-critical views are treated as bigotry, despite the courts repeatedly affirming their legitimacy.
Her employment tribunal continues this week, with Dr Beth Upton, the male-born doctor at the centre of the case, set to face cross-examination for the first time.
There’s more on this story here.
