Row over NAC vote

Scan page 3

THE good news for women in COHSE this year is that our role in the union was "considered by the NEC.

The (not surprising) bad news is that nothing was decided, nothing positive will be recommended and the NEC recommendation on the one resolution which could alter our effect on the union - resolution 52 calling for the creation of a post of National Women's Officer - will be to reject. - The position of women in COHSE is disgrace. COHSE membership is approximately 230,000. 77% are women. There is one woman on the NEC and there is one woman national officer, whose job is not specifically to work around women's issues.

The NEC (25 men, remember) in "considering" women's roles in the union decided that they couldn't recommend any rule changes this year but that the discussion about positive discrimination for women should be held at Regional Councils. A nice exercise in decentralisation you might think.

But not so nice if you know that women vastly under-represented on Regional Councils only 30% of Regional delegates are women.

Any woman who has attended a Regional Council knows the extent of sexism that we encounter at that level. It is outrageous that a male dominated, patronising and sexist body should be deciding whether positive discrimination is a good thing.

There is a crying need for COHSE men to be educated about their attitudes and treatment of women in the union and that education can only come from women.

Two years ago there was a picket line at our union conference to try a •Miss COHSE' contest going ahead. The organisers of the contest were supported the following dav by an emotional speech from the President - the picketers were attacked for damaging the reputation of the union!! Every year at conference women are patronised and put down.

But the major attack on women's rights this year came from the decision of the NEC not to carry out the affiliation to the National Abortion Camaction is unconstitutional because there was. no ballot. Already right wing NEC members are muttering that the directives are not what the members want.

Lousy

We must use this argument for our stand. The directives are wrong. Members don't want isolated one-day strikes. They want a call now for indefinite action.

COHSE members know how good Spanswick, Williams and Mallinson are at talking about fighting. We also know how lousy they are at changing talk into action.

Mallinson's behaviour during last year's ambulance dispute should be in everyone's mind. Militant speeches about fighting will not be enough this paign. The decision to affiliate was taken by conference last year - with no debate allowed.

There can be no question that a woman's right to choose whether or not to have a child a major factor which affects her whole life - and is particularly relevant to her work - and therefore her trade union. The decision to affilate to NAC was therefore a positive step forward for COHSE.

But suddenly at their August meeting the NEC decided not to affiliate. Not only did this make a mockery of Conference but it raised the whole question of the male-dominated NEC's awareness of and respect for women's issues.

Supporters of NAC in COHSE have been working throughout the year to reverse the NEC decision. Abortion promises to be one of the major topics at this year's conference.

In the NEC report there is a mention of "a mistake" in not debating the abortion (''an emotive subject") resolution.

However, the real feeling of the NEC can be seen by its reaction to the two resolutions on abortion at this year's conference.

Resolution 88 condemns the NEC for not implementing the affiliation and instructs them to affiliate "without further delay". • Never keen on criticising, let alone condemning themselves, the NEC is opposing this resolution.

Resolution 89 calls on support from the union in fighting the attacks on social factors through the new notification form and reaffirms the decision to affiliate to NAC. The NEC is leaving this open.

If they really believed in women's rights to abortion, to childcare, to jobs, to equality, they would be supporting both of these resolutions plus resolution 52 on the women's officer.

In campaigning for women's rights we must also be campaigning for democracy and accountability throughout the year.

We must spell out clearly by backing the emergency resolution what action we want and when we want it. COHSE leaders must not be allowed to sit and wait as Fisher has done since the NUPE conference.

The leadership must be left in no doubt about their mandate.

Fight

If we pass an emergency resolution calling for indefinite action and give NUPE support, then we can win the 12%.

*Other workers have already pledged support. The day after our own pay debate, miners in South Wales will be striking in solidarity with health workers. We must take the initiative and other sections will follow.