Join Unison Lothian Health and Secure Your Future

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UNISON members who share common concerns come together in groups to discuss, campaign and organise events around the specific issues that affect them.

These ‘self-organised’ groups operate at both national level and within the region. Every one of these groups has a structure with a region and a regional committee.

Member groups work for change in many different ways:

• by raising awareness of topical issues that affect members;
• by campaigning to change legislation;
• by using the bargaining power of their collective voice.

UNISON fights discrimination and prejudice in the workplace on behalf of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) members. We work together in local and national groups of LGBT+ members to campaign and provide support for our members.

We do this by building local and national groups of LGBT+ members, negotiating with employers and offering individual support to anyone experiencing discrimination. We also provide access to practical advice and legal information.

LGBT+ group priorities

UNISON’s LGBT+ group takes UNISON’s priorities into the LGBT+ community.

They are to:

• recruit LGBT+ workers into the union;
• encourage LGBT+ members to get involved;
• build our network of LGBT+ groups;
• support individual members;
• identify and challenge discrimination, informing the union’s negotiations with employers;
• defend and promote LGBT+ public services;
• campaign for equality.

How we’re organised

Branch activity: there is a growing network of branch-level LGBT+ groups that discuss local terms and conditions, support individual LGBT+ members with issues at work and debate issues affecting the LGBT+ community. The branch groups jointly feed into regional groups.

Regional activity: the 12 regional LGBT+ groups meet regularly. They represent LGBT+ members at a regional level, arrange training for activists campaign for LGBT+ equality and work with other self-organised groups and young members in UNISON. Each regional group elects two members who represent LGBT+ members at a national level.

National activity: there are two seats for each regional LGBT+ group on UNISON’s national LGBT+ committee, which works with the national executive council and service group executives.

We are a group of LGBT+ UNISON members which is member-led and organises or campaigns on LGBT+ workplace issues. As Trade Unionists we campaign for equality and equity for LGBT+ persons whilst promoting inclusivity in the organisation and at a local and national level. We assist UNISON to promote its equalities and bargaining agenda and to defend jobs, terms and conditions and services. We use our right to build confidence and encourage participation to ensure that we assist UNISON to build its density and have a strong and dynamic presence in the workplace. We celebrate human diversity by marking historic and significant LGBT+ events throughout the year such as Pride and World AIDS Day.

2010 – THE EQUALITY ACT

The primary purpose was to bring a number of Acts and regulations together, such as the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act, Disability Discrimination and other areassuch as religion, belief, sexual orientation and age.  A disabled person is defined as someone who has either a physical or mental impairment that has a sustantial and long–term adverse effect to the person’s ability to carry out day–to–day activities. This definition is definition of disability. A review of this Act is scheduled to commence in 2020 but this may be on hold due to Cornavirus.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender + (plus) explained

We all have:-

a (biological) sex which is based on the organs we were given at birth e.g. male, female; intersex.

a gender identity which is an individual’s self-definition of their gender e.g. male, female, transgender. A cisgender is a person whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex.

a gender expression which is how we show our gender to the world e.g. male, female; transgender.

a sexuality e.g. who we are attracted to e.g. straight/hetrosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, demi sexual, graysexual; pansexual.

titles e.g. Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms . . . Mx is a non-binary title.

pronouns e.g. He/Him,She/Her;They/Them.

• Sex does not determine gender,
• Gender does not determine sex;
• Not all trans people are interested in /able to have hormones or surgery.

Contact Us

Your LGBT+ officer is :

Stewart Young

07977 246 899

stewart.young@nhs.scot