Left slate of women - pickec by men! Women in struggle TG WU women rout platform officials

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radical women in the Party want to see.

Consequently, the slate for the women's section is drawn up with little regard for the vie vs of the women concerned on one of the most important issues for women in the Party; the struc'WOMEN'S CAUSE a Triumph for Men' trumpeted the Guardian headline.

They were of course writing of a major triumph for women at last week's TGWU Biennial Delegate Conference, when women delegates twice persuaded the conference to reject statements from the powerful General Executive Council.

It all began with the submission of five resolutions on women's Rights. One in particular, Resolution 447, called for the union to initiate and support measures which would promote the equal participation of women in the union and Labour Party's policy and decision making bodies.

Now the General Executive Council of the TGWU prides itself on being a progressive body, packed with left-wingers, (all of them men of course). And so when the officers recommended that they not accept the resolution, they found themselves in something of a pickle.

It wouldn't look too good opposing the women would it? On the other hand they were impressed by the officers reservations. What were they to do?

Dive for the rule-book, was the answer. The TGWU has a very unusual union rule that enables the Executive (or at least the officers) to draft a 'statement', which overrules the motions on the agenda in any particular debate, and which renders all those resolutions null and void should the statement be accepted.

This statement is kept a complete secret from the delegates; indeed very few executive members get to see it. Then it is read aloud to a completely unprepared conference by a full-time union official!

When Marie Patterson rose to read the Statement on Women's Participation in trade union and By a BDC delegate Labour Party affairs, there was a mood of anticipation amongst women delegates in the hall. Rumour had it that the statement was a 'good' one, that it went a long way to meeting the demands of women delegates.

But this anticipation was soon quashed by Ms. Patterson's firm announcement that the union could not support the demand that the women's conference of the Labour Party lor the TUC) be allowed tò submit resolutions or elect the women's section of the NEC.

If this statement were carried, it immediately became clear, then the IGWU would be casting its million plus votes against rank-and-file women in the As this realisation dawned, women delegates went to the rostrum to protest at the manner in which the statement had been presented to Conference and at the double standards contained in it: on the one hand it was an enthusiastic endorsement of Positve Action, on the other a rebuttal of positive action measures thta would go some way in transferring power to women in the labour movement.

One by one male delegates rose to support them, until the tide of protest became a flood, and the Statement was overwhelmingly rejected, with just a handful of delegates supporting the executive.

The rejection caused visible consternation on the platform. The rule-book now permitted the resolutions to be moved individually and fully debated.

Hurriedly they conferred, while women were given second bite of the cherry and proceeded to move the vital resolution 447. In replying to the debate, Marie Patterson was forced to concede defeat and to recommend support for all the resolutions on women's participation.

While motion 445 calls for the establishment for the first time of a national women's advisory committee to meet quarterly, and report to the executive, motion 447 calls on the TGWU to do two things: first, to extend and formally constitute effec tive women's organisations within the union and the Labour This means that at this year's Labour Prty Conference the TGWU must lend its support for resolutions calling for a rules conference for the women's organisation.

Second the resolution cals on the union to "promote the equal participation of women in the union and party's powerful policy and decision-making bodies, i.e. the Annual Conference and the National Executive Committee of the Labour Finally it calls on the TGWU to "initiate and support positive action proposals designed to improve women's access and participation in the activities of both the union and the party."

This must mean that the TGWU should support WAC's two demands that the Labour Party Women's Conference be empowered to elect the women's section of the NEC; and that it be entitled to submit resolutions to the Labour Party's Conference.

On the following day, Marie Pattérson rose once again, this time to read a statement on Abortion rights, child-care facilities etc - a statement relatively uncontroversial. But women delegates were still angry at the Cavalier manner in which they The "women's slate" is a travesty Women's Section slate has got to stop, and real account taken of the views of women.

The Women's Action Committee will not be supporting the slate. We shall only support those women on it who fully support the constitutional changes for women in the Party; and if other women on the left are nominated who do support WAC and its aims, we shall call for support for them instead.

The Women's Section slate is just the most blatant example of a much wider problem, and women have decided to say no.

Marie Paitersc had been treated, and once mol urged the Conference to reje the statement so that ind vidu delegates coula move resoli tions framed by their branche: and not by the full-time officers This time the tellers wer called in, and although the vol was a narrow one, the vome had won again, and Mari Paterson had been defea ed fr the second time by her ow women members.

The outcome of there tw debates had a major impact o delegates at Conference; renewed their confidence i their own power, and it mad the question of women's rights central issue of the male domir ated biennial meeting.

For full report on TGWU conference - see p.15