Latest news with #equalityact
Sky News
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News
Equalities watchdog writes to GMB union over sexual harassment claims
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has formally written to the GMB union asking for information on how it's complying with the Equality Act following allegations of sexual harassment, victimisation and sex discrimination, Sky News understands. Former staffers and members of the union had launched an official complaint to the equalities watchdog earlier this year over claims of institutional sexism and bullying, but this is the first time it has deemed them serious enough to start inquiries. It's the first step in a possible investigation by the equalities watchdog into activity at the union over systemic sexism, and GMB has just under a month to respond. GMB has said it categorically denies claims of a culture of bullying or sexism within the union. "GMB has been contacted by the EHRC with a request for information," said a statement. "This is a procedural matter and not an investigation. "We look forward to responding properly and professionally to their request." 'Institutionally sexist' In the original complaint, which Sky News has seen, a number of women allege there is a "pattern of victimisation and harassment against women who speak out" about wrongdoing inside the Labour-backed union. They argue it could be a breach of GMB's duties under the Equality Act. GMB is one of the biggest unions in the UK, but has been struggling with its reputation for years. Four years ago, a damning report written by Karon Monaghan KC branded the union "institutionally sexist" and, a number of women who complained to the EHRC insist the union hasn't changed. GMB represents about 630,000 workers in the UK and is one of the Labour Party's major funders. Sir Keir Starmer gave the keynote speech at the GMB conference a year before the last general election and numerous cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are members. This weekend, the union, which prides itself on fighting for people in their own workplaces, will once again meet for its annual conference in Brighton - but this time with looming questions over how fairly it treats its own.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Trans doctor receives counselling due to the 'incredible distress' of NHS gender tribunal
A trans doctor at the centre of a landmark employment tribunal has claimed the distress of giving evidence forced the medic to undergo counselling. Dr Beth Upton has defiantly spoke out to say 'trans people are not going anywhere' after revealing plans for the money raised by a crowdfunder. Dr Upton, who was born a man, and Fife Health Board are accused of breaching the Equality Act after forcing nurse Sandie Peggie to get changed alongside the trans medic. Mrs Peggie, 50, was suspended from her job at NHS Fife after challenging Dr Upton's presence in the women's only facilities at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. She has lodged a claim of sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation at an employment tribunal. Although Dr Upton has given evidence to the tribunal, the medic has so far failed to comment on the proceedings outside of the court room. The 30-year-old has broken cover to tell supporters they should 'seize any chance to demonstrate that we're [trans people] here, we are loved, and we're not going anywhere'. In a message to those who donated almost £6,000 to a crowdfunder titled: 'Love and treats for Dr Beth Upton', the doctor on Wednesday said the tribunal had been 'incredibly distressing' but urged supporters not to give up the fight. The medic wrote: 'First, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for your kindness and generosity. 'The whole experience has been incredibly distressing and knowing there are people out there who support me and my community means the world to me. 'While this has been a huge personal struggle, I think it's also important to acknowledge the wider context the case exists in and the potential for its effects to impact many in the trans community and beyond. 'I feel we should seize any chance to demonstrate that we're here, we are loved, and we're not going anywhere.' Dr Upton said half of the £5,807 raised for their cause would go towards paying for counselling and time taken off by the medic's wife. It is understood the doctor's legal fees are being covered by the taxpayer via the NHS's Central Legal Office. The doctor wrote: 'Both my wife and I have been blown away by the support shown by all of you and have carefully considered how best to use the funds raised through this thoughtful gesture. 'We believe it's important, given our position, to share that kindness with others. 'With that in mind, we intend to divide the money roughly into two, using half to cover our practical costs related to the tribunal and surrounding experience (e.g. counselling, loss of earnings for my wife, travel and accommodation) and the other half we intend to split amongst several local charities and community groups working to support vulnerable people. 'We must not forget that the rights we do have have been hard fought for and we must continue to fight for those rights and for the rights of others. We must remember that we know ourselves better than others can ever know us and nothing can change who we know ourselves to be.' The message was signed off by Dr Upton and Zoe, the medic's wife, with the words 'love and solidarity'. The employment hearing in Dundee, which will resume in July, was launched before last month's Supreme Court ruling that clarified that the meaning of 'sex' in equalities law refers solely to 'biological' sex. The nurse lodged a claim against the health board and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation. The Mail revealed last week how Mrs Peggie is also suing the Royal College of Nursing for failing to help her in her battle against Fife Health Board. An equivalent fundraiser for Mrs Peggie has garnered around £38,000 worth of donations - all of which is set to go to charity. Last night, Susan Smith of campaign group For Women Scotland said: 'Dr Upton continues to pretend he is the victim, saying the experience has been 'incredibly distressing' and a 'huge personal struggle'. 'Reading this, one might forget the distress caused to a female nurse who objected to his presence in the women's changing room, and the compromise to her dignity and privacy. 'As for a 'struggle', Ms Peggie has the weight of the NHS against her and was unsupported by her own Union. 'Dr Upton, backed by managers and senior colleagues, is certainly not the underdog in this sorry tale and, moreover, pushed the hospital to take action against Sandie.'
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Sturgeon: Legal definition of a woman may need to change
Nicola Sturgeon has argued the law on the definition of a woman may need to be changed to accommodate trans people after complaining that a Supreme Court ruling had been 'massively over-interpreted'. The former first minister did not dispute that the court was correct that the definition of woman in the Equality Act 2010 was based on biological sex. But she argued that this could be changed to give trans people access to female-only areas as it was for politicians 'to decide what the law should be or has to be.' She said the 'law has to change' if trans people's lives become 'almost impossible' and cited comments from Baroness Hale, the first female president of the Supreme Court. Lady Hale said last week that 'there's nothing in that judgment that says that you can't have gender neutral loos ' and Ms Sturgeon argued that this showed that the ruling had been 'massively over-interpreted.' The former SNP leader made the comments this weekend at the How the Light Gets In festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, adding that she had received 'more misogynistic abuse as a result of this issue than any other'. Ms Sturgeon said this was 'ironic' but pledged to 'always' be an ally to trans people 'no matter how difficult that might be.' But For Women Scotland (FWS), the feminist group that won the Supreme Court case against the SNP government, said the real misreading of the law had come from 'trans activists who have spun the most outrageous interpretations.' Ms Sturgeon's government tried the Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, which would have allowed biological men to change legal gender by simply signing a declaration. The legislation was passed at Holyrood but vetoed by the UK Government over concerns it undermined women's safe spaces. But it has emerged that swathes of Scotland's public sector adopted self-ID all the same, allowing trans people access to female toilets and changing rooms. Experts have warned these practices will have to be scrapped following the Supreme Court's ruling in April that the definition of a woman is based on biological sex, and does not include trans women. Ms Sturgeon has previously claimed some opponents of the GRR Bill were transphobic. In January 2023, the month before she stepped down as first minister, she said: 'You'll also find that they're deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well.' Earlier this month she said she 'fundamentally' disagreed that she should apologise for the Bill, saying FWS did not represent 'every woman in the country.' The Sunday Times reported that Ms Sturgeon told the festival that 'some of the immediate reaction' to the ruling had been over-interpreted. 'But if it is the case that the judgment means we have to move to a situation where trans lives are almost impossible to live then, I'm sorry, but the law has to change because that is not an acceptable way to be,' she said. Ms Sturgeon added: 'Many of those on the other side (of the issue) say it is all about protecting women. Isn't it ironic that I have probably had more misogynistic abuse as a result of this issue that on any other issue in my entire political career. Go figure.' But Susan Smith, a director of FWS, said: 'It would be quite ironic, although not unexpected, if the first female first minister was resolutely sticking to the notion that biological sex is some nebulous concept.' Trans law 'is easy to follow' Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn, of policy analysts Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said the court's ruling was 'easy to follow' and organisations should follow the Scottish Parliament by taking steps 'straightaway to comply with the law.' She added: 'They need to read the judgment, obtain their own legal advice and ignore the former first minister, whose contributions on this subject remain as unhelpful as ever.' Humza Yousaf, Ms Sturgeon's successor as first minister, also admitted that the manner in which the SNP tried to introduce gender self-ID in Scotland was a 'mistake.' Asked if self-ID had been a mistake, Mr Yousaf told Times Radio: 'The way we handled that, it clearly was a mistake. There's no two ways about it and not taking people on that journey with us.' He said he still supported reforming the 'over-medicalised process' for trans people to change gender but admitted 'we could have handled it a lot better, I think that self-evident.'
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Labour set to cancel women's conference over Supreme Court transgender ruling
Labour is set to postpone its women's conference because of the risk of protests and legal challenge following the Supreme Court ruling on gender. The party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will be asked on Tuesday to postpone the event, which is due to take place in September, because the 'only legally defensible alternative' would be to restrict attendance to biological women. The NEC will also be asked to make clear that all-women shortlists should be restricted to biological females. The Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex'. Labour had previously operated its 'positive action' measures on the basis of self-identification, allowing transgender women to take part. A leaked advice paper produced for the NEC meeting recommended postponing the women's conference on September 27 because 'there is a significant risk of legal challenge to the event as it currently operates' and 'there may be protests, direct action and heightened security risks' if it goes ahead. That could carry a 'political risk' of overshadowing the party's showcase autumn conference which begins the following day. The recommendation in the paper is to postpone the women's conference pending a wider review of positive action measures. The paper also says the party should issue guidance to make clear that all-women shortlists can only apply to 'applicants who were biologically female at birth'. Labour did not use all-women shortlists at the last general election. It is understood Labour will respect the Supreme Court judgment and comply with statutory guidance when it is published. Ministers will consider the Equality and Human Rights Commission's code of practice when a draft is submitted by the body. The Labour for Trans Rights group, along with Pride in Labour and LGBT+ Labour's trans officer, Georgia Meadows, condemned the NEC paper and its recommendations. They said: 'It is a blatant attack on trans rights and is seemingly an attempt to isolate trans people even further within the Labour Party and the labour movement more widely.' The Labour Women's Declaration group, which backs 'sex-based rights', said cancelling the conference would be a 'knee-jerk reaction'. A spokesperson told the LabourList website: 'We are shocked that hundreds of women in the Labour Party might be prevented from meeting at conference because the NEC would prefer to disadvantage all women rather than to exclude the very small number of trans-identified men who may wish to attend the women's conference.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour 'could ban trans from all-female shortlists and delay women's conference' after court ruling on gender
Labour could ban trans women from all-women shortlists in the wake of the Supreme Court 's gender ruling. The party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) is also poised to postpone the annual women's conference to avoid having to restrict attendance to biological women. The moves are in a paper due to be considered at a potentially stormy meeting later. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex'. Labour had previously operated its 'positive action' measures on the basis of self-identification, allowing transgender women to take part. A leaked advice paper produced for the NEC meeting recommends postponing the women's conference on September 27 because 'there is a significant risk of legal challenge to the event as it currently operates'. It also cautioned that 'there may be protests, direct action and heightened security risks' if it goes ahead. That could carry a 'political risk' of overshadowing the party's showcase autumn conference which begins the following day. The recommendation in the paper is to postpone the women's conference pending a wider review of positive action measures. The paper also says the party should issue guidance to make clear that all-women shortlists can only apply to 'applicants who were biologically female at birth'. Labour did not use all-women shortlists at the last general election. It is understood Labour will respect the Supreme Court judgment and comply with statutory guidance when it is published. Ministers will consider the Equality and Human Rights Commission's code of practice when a draft is submitted by the body. The Labour for Trans Rights group, along with Pride in Labour and LGBT+ Labour's trans officer, Georgia Meadows, condemned the NEC paper and its recommendations. They said: 'It is a blatant attack on trans rights and is seemingly an attempt to isolate trans people even further within the Labour Party and the labour movement more widely.' The Labour Women's Declaration group, which backs 'sex-based rights', said cancelling the conference would be a 'knee-jerk reaction'. A spokeswoman told the LabourList website: 'We are shocked that hundreds of women in the Labour Party might be prevented from meeting at conference because the NEC would prefer to disadvantage all women rather than to exclude the very small number of trans-identified men who may wish to attend the women's conference.'
