<I>Tubeworker</I> fully supports the recent announcements that gender-specific announcements like "ladies and gentlemen" will be phased out in PAs and SATS.
The term "ladies and gentlemen" is outdated, and divide people on the basis of gender. Many people do not identify as male or female, or have fluid gender identities, so why should our announcements make these people feel excluded?
We've noticed that many automated PAs, including security announcements, still use "ladies and gentlemen"; we hope these will be removed as quickly as possible. The new policy should be clearly explained to station staff who may have been saying "ladies and gentlemen" during their SATS for years.
We hope LU's commitment to not discriminating against our passengers on the basis of gender will translate into a new commitment to improve equality for staff, too. Back at the beginning of the "Fit for the Future" process, we reported on <a href=http://www.workersliberty.org/files/TW%20%E2%80%94%2028%20May%20diversi… LU's cuts would make inequalities around race, gender, and disability worse.</a> That situation has become more acute as LU's cuts have bedded in.
Our unions, particularly self-organised black, LGBT, women, and disabled members' groups should have a renewed push for equality.