For years PCS delegates have faced pressure to abstain and/or equivocate at the behest of the Left Unity leadership on motions supporting Trans rights and decrying transphobia (or face reprisal). For the first time in a long time, thanks to members throwing out the old guard and electing a new National Executive Committee majority, no PCS speaker embarrassed our union by throwing dog-whistle support behind gender critical ideology. All PCS votes cast were in line with our own union policy to protect trans and non-binary workers.
This included supporting an Emergency Motion (EM1), which decried the Cass Report for the dangerous pseudoscience that it is. EM1 called on the TUC LGBT+ Committee to work with trans-led organisations to resist the Report’s recommendations and to pressure UK governments for an affirming approach to trans healthcare.
The Report has already had devastating impact in precipitating a ban on gender affirming healthcare for under 25s in England and the closing of youth trans health services in Scotland.
PCS has policy, carried by conference 2024, that rightly criticises the academic rigour of the Cass Review and resulting Report, neither of which are peer reviewed. Longstanding union policy has supported access to trans healthcare, and the PCS Proud National Committee (PNC, leadership of the self-organised group for LGBT+ PCS members) has spoken and published against the Report. PCS policy is clear, and Annual Delegate Conference has repeatedly censured the former NEC for anti-trans conduct.
Unfortunately, once again, securing the correct supportive vote for trans rights was not plain sailing. Four delegates selected by the PNC (including ordinary and NEC BLN members) made up two thirds of the delegation. The other two delegates, the single Democracy Alliance (Left Unity and PCS Democrats) Vice President and a Left Unity former NEC member, attempted to intimidate the Proud delegates into adopting LU’s position of abstaining on EM1. They consulted the unelected Head of Organising, who told them that abstaining was “the PCS position” as we “don’t have policy on it”. It is unclear what democratic source she drew that opinion from. Majority delegates were told by the VP that if we voted for EM1, they would be doing so knowingly against mandate.
This was reminiscent of TUC LGBT+ Conference 2022 when PCS delegate and BLN member Saorsa Tweedale was instructed by a full time officer to abstain on a motion highlighting the links between gender critical organisations and the far-right, against the union’s position. Like Saorsa, majority delegates ignored this undemocratic directive and voted in support of PCS policy.
Outrageously, rather than visibly abstain or abide by the majority position and support, the VP and LU member both left the room during the debate on EM1 and were absent for the vote. More evidence (if any were still needed) that the remaining Democracy Alliance members in positions of authority must be voted out as soon as possible.
Turning to the conference itself, it was filled with moving and vitally important speeches about the lived experiences of LGBT+ people and the need for change – featuring horror stories of assault, victimisation, discrimination against and fear on the part of LGBT+ people as recently as en route to conference that morning.
It is important and healing for LGBT+ people to hear unanimous support from within the community, and for the most part the spotlight was rightly on our trans and non-binary siblings who have been subject to vicious abuse and discrimination by employers, the UK government and the far-right. Conference also included Moments of Joy this year, to recognise and celebrate the beauty of LGBT+ lives whilst we fight like hell in their defence.
Crucially though, what’s needed to bring about positive steps for LGBT+ workers and all workers is political and industrial response. We gathered specifically as LGBT+ trade unionists – how are we going to use our strength and leverage to realise change as quickly and as forcefully as we can?
Proud and BLN members on the delegation encouraged Conference to consider the industrial, class-based elements behind various motions. They spoke on the need to fight against privatisation in the NHS with industrial action where needed, as the only way to provide the full and fast access to trans healthcare that we unanimously support, and the importance of international trade union solidarity to represent LGBT+ workers everywhere, such as Uganda and Gaza.
One strong theme and gentle tension at conference this year was the role that the TUC LGBT+ Committee and wider TUC should play in lobbying the Labour Party. Numerous unions, PCS included, spoke on the vital need to hold the Labour Party to account as they very likely take government after the General Election.
PCS told Conference that we must hold Labour to a higher standard than the Tories, as the next government and because they claim to be the party of workers. Conference rejected the TUC LGBT+ Committee’s recommendation to oppose a motion calling on them to lobby the Labour party to insist they support the trans community. The recommendation came on the basis that the TUC is politically neutral – Conference voted to tell them that they aren’t and mustn’t be.
Looking ahead to next year, BLN member Yemisi Ilesanmi was elected to the TUC LGBT+ Committee, and a demand has been submitted to the PCS National President to nominate BLN member Saorsa Tweedale for co-option to the same committee.
As the lie that PCS has put equality at the heart of all we’ve done under the former leadership is exposed more and more, it is vital that BLN work in our capacity as part of the new NEC majority to properly resource the Equality department, and continue to re-establish the trust between Proud and the NEC. We can and must put forward a strong class-based position on LGBT+ liberation, within our own union and beyond.
PCS Broad Left Network 