- Conference
- 2008 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 24 July 2008
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the partnership work between the Scottish Transgender Alliance and UNISON which has resulted in the creation of a new Guide for UNISON Reps on Supporting Transgender Members at Work.
Conference also welcomes that the UNISON Bargaining Factsheet on Negotiating for Trans Workers’ Rights was updated in May to take account of the new gender reassignment goods and services protections and third-party harassment protections provided by the Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008.
Conference notes with concern that the recent Scottish Transgender Alliance survey of Transgender Experiences in Scotland found that 53% of the survey respondents who were known to be transgender by some of their work colleagues stated that they had experienced transphobic discrimination or harassment at work.
15% of the survey respondents stated that their employer failed to protect their privacy relating to their gender reassignment history and as a result was responsible for causing them to suffer transphobic workplace discrimination and harassment.
8% of the survey respondents stated that they had been dismissed from a job at least once due to being transgender. In addition, 13% stated that they had quit their job at least once due to fears of possible future discrimination or harassment.
Conference further notes that the current difficulties and severe delays in accessing funding for NHS gender reassignment assessment and surgery can result in intense stress for many trans employees. Such employees deserve the support of colleagues to help reduce any adverse stress-related effects on workplace performance.
Years in limbo without access to medical assistance and having to fight through lengthy NHS appeal systems (or even the courts) for NHS gender reassignment funding can significantly divert energy away from career development and cause depression and anxiety issues to develop.
Trans people can experience difficulty getting their hormone prescriptions from General Practitioners, especially if they move home and have to change health authority. This can sometimes leave them with no other option than to resort to self-medication of hormones which increases the risk of experiencing serious medication side effects due to lack of dosage monitoring.
Conference therefore welcomes the excellent new Department of Health Guidance for GPs, other clinicians and health professionals on the care of gender variant people now available from the Department of Health pubilcations website.
Conference instructs the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee to:
1.Continue its work and activities developing further good practice guidance in supporting transgender workers rights;
2.Work with regions and branches to distribute existing guidance on transgender employment and health care issues to more UNISON representatives in order to better equip them to negotiate with employers on behalf of trans members;
3.Work with transgender equality organisations, the Trades Union Congress and NHS equality structures to improve availability of timely and patient-centred NHS gender reassignment assistance in order to reduce the risk of prolonged stress over gender reassignment delays affecting the workplace performance of trans employees.