SCOTTISH Trades Union Congress agreed unanimously today to campaign for improved trans and non-binary rights following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of woman in the Equality Act.

An emergency composite motion from the LGBT committee and the UCU said the court’s decision on the protected characteristics of sex refers to “biological sex for interpreting sex-based rights and protections under the Act and is likely to be used as a pretext for removing protections for trans and non-binary people in the workplace and elsewhere and undermining their rights.”

Moving the motion, Unison’s Michael Craig told delegates: “Guidance on legislation that directly affects trans people is being issued with little or no consultation with those that live this reality.

“As trade unionists we believe in the principle of nothing about us without us — that principle is being ignored.”

The motion argued that though the Supreme Court had reasserted trans people’s protections under the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, this was narrowly defined and the Scottish TUC should campaign for reform to make “gender identity” a protected characteristic instead.

It called on the STUC to support “appropriate pro-trans protests and actions.”

Kate Ramsden of Aberdeen TUC, under a point of order, asked whether the motion’s call to resist “any attempts by management to change any positive existing policies to reduce trans and non-binary rights” meant unions would encourage employers to break the law.

Mr Craig replied that unions would expect employers to rely on their own legal guidance.