'Women have taken a lead on the Wapping picket lines clear impression that there women involved from the fight against Murdoch, privatisation, was also clear was that support for the ly been maie dominated sending women delegates.
By far the most important debate this year was centred around the document produced Dy the TUC entitled "The Wider involvement of Women in the ment .. with the vast majority of speakers being extremely critical the patronising and insulting attitude toward women prevalent throughout the document. This was coupled with general criticisms that the recommendations do nol go lar change the balance of ¡orces In lavour or women, as well as the fact that the failed to implement the TUC Charter, 'Equality for. Women in the Unions'.
Many women clearly feel that the TUC is unwillIng to senolsiv issue of involving. more women at every level of the unions. The growing number of women active at the rank and file level of te tauc unon movemen clearly increasing and yet the key positions within DELEGATES ATTENDING the Women's TUC in Leicester this year would have come away with the and more in struggles against this government than ever before - struggles ranging to demands for better health facilities for women. What TUC is growing, with unions which have traditionalNUT delegate: personal capacity.
the union bureaucracy are still held by men.
This attitude is coupled with the restrictions placed on lne aiscussions and mo tions that the TUC can debate through a constitution which states of the LOnference shall be... and its purpose shall be to discuss the special problems of women workers and young the frustrations that delegates felt. However a motion tabled by the NUJ. proposing a change in the tructure of the TUC by deleting the above clauses substituting encourage women to piay a irade momentil. was Canned This decision was parchange has been strongiy Icoisicu Dasl ferences, the cleariv ndicates üne anwillingness LEVISES relegated to the sidelines in discussions alice ting the whole trade union Another aspect of the was the demand that. the Women's Advisory: Committee organise a briefing meeting for all delegates attending the TUC on the evening betore: the Congress. This the first step in the recognition of the importance women's caucuses 1n encouraging and supporting participation at every level of their union.
There was little evidence change from the Advisory Committee itself despite many calls for action in support of women at the forefront of a fight against the Tories. Small engaged SLE UPLICI throughout the country against struggles which are being ignored TUC Ine bureaucracy generally and which increasing in number and importance.
The standing ovaton given the SOGAT delegates when they spoke co an emergency resojution the Wapping dispute ivas given with a sense of 1Cal willingness give solidarity struggle • wilai was Jackie was a commitment iead from the TUC and unior bureaucracies.
What was disappointing, expected. was that none of the unions involved in struggle recently, or who fighring, were included in the 'newly' elected Women's Advisory Committee. Once again we had the sallic vulcaucrals voted" 'in, with the usual 'deals' taking place between the larger unions to ensure that nothing or no one changed at the top.
The stagnation at the top should not be confused with the attitude of the rank and file women establishment and activity of the WonDer support groups, clearly one of the most im portant influences on women trade unionists with many women referring to their importance wanting to develop further women's involvement and integration the whole trade union anc labour movement.
This year's conference indicated the preparedness of many women to take on i tight against the Tories not simply at the level of their own sector or industry, but across these bouncarles. This was notabie from the position that the National Union of Teachers delegation took and spoke on giving clear support for the GCHQ, against privatisation. etc.
The commitment given ov many unions to supporl the TUC call for a 24 hour as first unionist GCHQ sacked Was quivocal. But, with many of these policies, we Will need to campaign: within our own unions to ensure that the TUC call is: built for and supported by Illassive stnike achon.
Although the Women's TUC still suffers from a stiffling bureaucracy, TUC, theless the message was clear - there are massive struggles ahead, although there have been some setbacks, victory can be achieved with a united response from the whole Luciall This branch notes that the Women's Section of the Labour Party NEC is the only section not elected by the people they represent. The trade unions elect the trade union section, the CLPs constituency section, the Young Socialist, elect the YS representative and the socialist societies elect their representative. Bul the women's section is elected by all delegates al annual conference. We believe that this is an inedevalues women s participation in the labour undemocratic situation at the national women's conference calls for a change in the Labour Party constitution to elect the national Labour women's section of the Labour Party NEC. As part of the campaign for this constitutional change, shadow elections for the Women's Section of the NEC are being held at this year's branch supports this action and urges the divisional council-NEC to send delegate to the Na. tional Labour Women's Conference with a man
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