UNISON has agreed new procedures for its 2027 national executive elections, with general secretary Andrea Egan saying the union will defend its members while complying with the law.
The union’s executive council agreed that eligibility for seats reserved for a particular gender will be determined by a prospective candidate’s sex at birth. UNISON said the change follows the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers.
“We don’t always have to like the law, but we have to adhere to it,” Egan said. “But we will defend our members. We will always be a union where all members are made to feel welcome.”
At its meeting on 7 October, the executive also discussed recruitment, pay and preparations for future workplace campaigns. Egan said she continued to raise with ministers the 50% turnout threshold for industrial action ballots, which has yet to be repealed.
The election-rule decision presents UNISON with the task Egan set out: applying the judgment while maintaining its commitment to members across the union.
