positive ideas expressed at the conference.
JUDE WOODWARD reports.
Outside the conference, held at Caxton Hall, Westminster, a - holding their emotive sensanonausca placaras mauc no impact on the delegates in the hall.
The conference, organised jointly by the Abortion Campaign and the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign, was sponsored by five national unions, and delegates representing branches came from a huge range of unions -the public sector and health, and transport tobacco workers, and miners.
An impressive platform of trade union leaders addressed the conference and called tor an extension of abortion facilities, ABORTION is an issue that can and must be taken up in the trade unions - that was the overwhelming conclusion to be drawn from the conference attended by nearly 500 trade union delegates last weekend.
Months of work, arguing, discussing and fighting for delegates in hundreds of union branches thoroughly vindicated by the militant feeling and together with a strong response to any attack on women's present abortion rights. and Alan Fisher, general secretaof the Public Employees Union, which has a membership workers, made a fine, militant speech.
BASIC 'I am neither for nor against abortion, he said. 'That is not the issue for trade unionists.
Abortion, the right to choose, is a basic right of our women members which we must fight even for.
Fisher pledged himself to ensure that the TUC's policy of against any restrictive legislanon is impiemenica.
was large health Berry Beaumont, a doctor from the NAC Steering Committee, spoke from the platform.
said that this depended on the degree of support at the base of Judith Hunt, organiser of the Engineering Union's staff section, demonstration gave particular attention to the need extend But he health service.
leaders dragged up metaphors leading troops that are miles down the road.
by the labour leaders?
The among the AHEAD were obliged to official women's influence to TASS, out-patient strong resistance to cuts in the But nearly all the trade union the old about 'generals four many times has this stale cliché been used to justify inactivity conference clearly showed that a large current "troops' was not four miles down the road at all.
There were a large number of teachers at the conference, who attend observers because their union's position that abortion has nothing to do with teachers. In the NUT, as in many other unions. the troops are way ahead of the generals!
trade unionists tee ALAN strongly about a woman's right to choose - now we expect Ene leaders to use their position and in November turn into concrete activity: to build mass actions to extend and defend women's rights to abortion.
Alan Fisher led 70,000 public sector workers on a massive lead general FISHER secretary of NUPE. demonstration against the cuts 1976, and then left them with nothing to do while the leaders went to do some parliamentary lobbying.
don't want that on well fighting for and helping to union officials should take the educating their members We expect to see a TUC leaflet explaining TUC policy abortion.
Fisher is the leader of a union health service workers it is particularly important that ne lakes kind of speech he made Saturday to the members of his He should be encouraging day-care abortion facilities and Ignung curs in the DEEVILE SUCCESS The TUC, Women's TUC, and the union leaders need to be providing material support for the National Abortion Campaign, and organising pro grammes. of meetings and picketing of hospitals inadequate facilities.
The conference was a big success. Let's ensure that the trade union leaders take us on from strength to strength.