Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “Alongside improvements in LGBT+ legal rights in recent decades, there has been a progressive shift in social attitudes towards LGBT+ relationships and family structures. We congratulate unions on the work they are doing to promote work and life balance issues, tackle discrimination and raise awareness of the diversity of family structures and parental rights.
“Despite this, LGBT+ parents and their children continue to face high levels of stigma, exclusion, bullying, harassment and discrimination. LGBT+ parents are significantly more likely to experience intrusive questioning, negative comments and disbelief when exercising family-friendly and parental rights in the workplace. Management decisions continue to be negatively influenced by the fact that heterosexual, nuclear families are still seen as the default.”
Usdaw is calling on the TUC to:
- Ensure the Government’s review of workplace parental rights specifically captures the experiences of LGBT+ parents and offers solutions to the particular challenges they face.
- Support the work unions are doing to highlight the experiences of LGBT+ parents in conversations with Government and negotiations with employers.
- Ensure LGBT+ parents and carers are consulted when parental and other family-friendly rights are being negotiated.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Usdaw LGBT+ Equality: https://www.usdaw.org.uk/member-support/help-and-advice/equalities/lgbtplus/
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion