[THE unbelievable and impossible happened at COHSE conference…]
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-06-24Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 7 →
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THE unbelievable and impossible happened at COHSE conference on Friday. Albert Spanswick in his wisdom, reversed on behalf of the NEC, a decision which was taken that morning by conference!
He was not ruled out of order, he ignored the fact that his action was in direct contravention of the union's standing orders.
And in one short speech he wiped out the conference decision to affiliate to the National Abortion Campaign. • Group 81 supporters walked out in disgust at such blatant manipulation. Apart from the staunch and vocal. anti-abortionists everyone was stunned at what happened.
Since the NEC decided not to implement the affiliation to NAC called for last year, the left have been organising and working to get the abortion issue firmly decided at this year's conference.
A reference back of the order paper was moved at the beginning of conference in an attempt to get abortion discussed Friday.
This was rejected. We organise a fring meeting on abortion. Over 1500 leaflets countering the SPUC/ LIFE arguments were handed out to delegates during the week.
The work paid off on Friday with conference passing by 500 votes a resolution censuring the NEC for its failure to affiliate to NAC after the 1981 conference, and instructing COHSE to affiliate without delay.
Another resolution calling for a campaign around the change in the notification forms was lost.
During the week the right wing and some national officers had made vague references to the 'left fringe' and their intervention.
However, as soon as the resolution on abortion was passed the right began a fierce lobby of the NEC and the Conference Arrangements Committee in an attempt to rescind the decision by an emergency resolution.
The Conference prepared to accept this the results of a card vote!
sulking at actually being approval to mis statement. certainly none of them, (including the one woman) left the platform in solidarity with delegates who were walking out.
It was a bitter end to the conference and another blow to women in COHSE. The continuous arguments over abortion in COHSE reflect the imbalance in the role which women play in the union.
The majority of delegates are men yet 77% of the membership are women. Instead of seeing abortion rights as a class issue the