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Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trade union bosses hit by furious backlash from activists after telling transgender women they must use men's toilets at annual conference
Trade union bosses have been hit by a furious backlash at their annual conference after telling transgender women they must use men's toilets. Leaders of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) had previously claimed the equality watchdog's guidance in the light of the Supreme Court ruling on single-sex services was 'not fit for purpose' and 'damaging'. They had promised just last month to support 'trans and non-binary members [who] will be facing worry and uncertainty following the judgement'. But on the eve of the PCS's annual conference in Brighton this week, the same union bosses warned delegates they risk breaking the law if they do not use the correct lavatories. They acknowledged the 'strength of feeling' generated by the judgment - which declared that the definition of a woman is down to biological sex rather than gender identity - but added they had a 'duty to act in accordance' with equality law. General Secretary Fran Heathcote and President Martin Cavanagh wrote in a statement to all those attending the event: 'It is important to remember that, irrespective of our personal views, any breach of the Equality Act 2010 may give rise to legal liability and, on that basis, we ask all delegates to use the facilities in accordance with the above.' They added that the Brighton Centre provides 'toilets for everyone' as well as separate male and female lavatories so they were confident that the venue 'provides the appropriate range of facilities'. It sparked an angry response from the hard-left wing of the union – which represents 190,000 civil servants and public sector workers – who branded them 'ignorant and cowardly'. PCS Independent Left blasted in leaflets handed out to those at the event: 'The statement's intent is sickeningly clear, while seeking to obfuscate behind legalese; it is an instruction to trans members of our union not to use the toilets they are used to using, and to use the 'toilets for everyone' instead. 'This position is legally ignorant as well as politically cowardly and we in the Independent Left support our members continuing to use the toilets they are used to using without overzealous and bigoted interpretation of the judgement and other legislation by the PCS leadership.' It went on: 'It is therefore completely, utterly and totally inappropriate to seek to push the perceived liability for living their lives as normal onto our trans members in the way the statement from the leadership seeks to do: Asking them what they can do for their (well-paid) union (FTOs) by agreeing to this sick segregationist interpretation of the law, rather than asking them what the union can do to protect their human rights and most basic liberties, to be able to use a bathroom without interrogation over biological essentialist views of gender and biased social norms of gender presentation, or a right-wing media-induced moral panic over suspicion of predatory behaviour.' And there were complaints that transgender conference delegates were continuing to use the female toilets in defiance of the order from their union bosses. One female union member complained to the Brighton Centre: 'On the first day, I encountered males in the female toilets on the first floor. When challenged one male made it clear he felt it appropriate for him to be in the female toilets (despite there being all access/gender neutral toilets immediately available) and insisted he will continue to use them. I told him this amounted to sexual harassment and he laughed.' Activists later tried to block the formal opening of the conference unless a controversial motion – which the Mail revealed threatened strike action over the 'segregation' of transgender people in workplace toilets – was added to the agenda.
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Civil servants defy official trans guidance
Civil servants have defied official trans guidance from the equalities watchdog. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said interim advice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was 'not fit for purpose'. The watchdog declared last week that trans women should not be allowed to use female lavatories after the Supreme Court ruled they were not legally women. It told employers, pubs, shops and hospitals that they must all act in line with the judgment. But the PCS said the guidance was 'damaging' and 'impossible to implement' in a statement from Fran Heathcote, its general secretary, and Martin Cavanagh, its president. 'The current interim guidance published by the EHRC is clearly not fit for purpose and is damaging in its advice and will be impossible to implement,' the union said. 'PCS is committed to a thorough response to the announced consultation and campaign that any guidance issued puts support and dignity for all at its heart.' The union said it was 'carefully considering' its own policies in light of the ruling to make sure they were 'fully inclusive'. 'As an equalities-focused union, PCS remains steadfast in promoting and championing the workplace rights of women, trans, and LGBT+ workers,' it said. Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters, said civil servants who believed the ruling was 'impossible to implement' should resign. 'PCS's furious reaction to the EHRC's interim guidance on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment for single sex services and spaces reads more like a statement from a men's rights group than one from a Civil Service union concerned to uphold the rights of all its members, including women,' she said. 'The judgment painstakingly considered how the Equality Act protects everybody's human rights and the EHRC's advice accurately reflects this. 'Civil servants who find a law that was passed by Parliament in 2010 'impossible to implement' because of their own fringe belief system should resign and stop collecting a public salary.' In its interim guidance, the EHRC also warned that only offering mixed-sex lavatories could amount to indirect sex discrimination against women. 'If somebody identifies as trans, they do not change sex for the purposes of the [Equality] Act, even if they have a gender recognition certificate,' the guidance said. 'A trans woman is a biological man. A trans man is a biological woman.' The watchdog said mixed-sex lavatories or changing rooms should be provided 'where possible' in addition to single-sex lavatories. Guidance on when competitive sports must be single-sex will be set out separately by the EHRC 'in due course'. Schools were told single-sex lavatories must be provided for boys and girls aged eight and over, and single-sex changing facilities for boys and girls aged 11 and over. The EHRC further clarified that members of an association with 25 members or more can be limited to men or women only, and can also be limited to gay men or lesbian women. The guidance said a lesbian-only association should not admit trans women, and associations for gay men should not admit trans men. Earlier this week, Baroness Falkner, the chairman of the EHRC, wrote: 'At the EHRC we uphold and enforce the Equality Act. 'That means incorporating the Supreme Court's ruling into all our guidance and explaining what it means to employers, service providers and other duty-bearers who must put it into practice. 'Our response will continue to be firmly grounded in the law. I can wholeheartedly reassure all who rely on us that every explanation of equality law from the EHRC will be accurate and authoritative. That is our job. 'The law it [the judgment] sets out is effective immediately. Those with duties under the Equality Act should be following it and taking specialist legal advice where necessary.'
