Action Committee (WAC) strong presence of women at the Labour Party's anthriving regional groups and over 500 members. Its strength derives from three sources:
porting all women in women in those trade unions affiliated to Labour Party. * Self organisation of women.
above the rivalries of men's factions within the party.
At the same time of course we have welcomed positively all forms of support from men within the mass movement or around campaigns I WO key issues will face WAC at this year's party conference. The first is the next round in the struggle for women to contheir GWI _orealisdtions in the party. The second the alliances women should make to achieve their goals.
Advance WAC's demands the right of the women's elect the NEC, a woman on every shortlist for selection, and have the right to submit resolutions to party conference — have made malast year. further two the NUR UCATT, have been won support its demands.
This is reflected in conference agenda. This year, unusually, there will be no composite attacking THIS IS the sixth year that the Labour Women's Will be organising a nual conference. Six years after its formation WAC is now an autonomous organisation of women with * A strong commitment to uniting with and supstruggle, and in particular the * A determination to remain 'above factions', ie WAC's campaign to strenothen the women's organisation.
The composites likely to go to party conference will probably deal with the following areas: for proposa. weighted vote at women's which will reflect the number women rate unionists, ana for reservea seals I01 women trade unionists on Nationall and the Conference Arrangements Committee * A proposal for a special revision conference to discuss the Issues relating the women's organisation.
The of the NEC by COnchange list. National be given its LIlC ICICULC.
OVER 200 resolutions and amendments to party The critical debates will take place around composites based resolutions from APEX, the UCW, the 19 resolutions amendments submitted by constituencies in line with WAC's demands, amendHe TILS sanested Putney Glasgow Hillhead.
Demands It is clear that the party as a whole is no longer able to ignore the demands which are being put forward by women within the Dal ly which have been repeatedly endorsed This year's ference will therefore be a critical one for women and for the Without being serious about rights within the will not be able to appeal to women.
The issue of alliances for women will be especially important given the launch of a major new umbrella group, Campaign Forum, in Chesterfield on The for women to its of demands. Instead practical organisapower embodied conference,. of the as they were of Labour Left Liaison before it.
WAC, and women will continue to work with all those who support their aclands — no were support from all sections of the party. But the existence of this new Forum, which has at its centre the Labour Women's Action Committee and Black Sec. tion, important departure for the left. way to detend tr allows Dal organised interests - the only basis on which principled alliances can be made. This alliance is therefore committed to forging unibetween oppressed airin depender e their autonomy.
The second important aspect of this new Forum Is lal ll pursues an oojec tive first introduced into the Labour Party lett bi the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. CLPD was the first ever campaign in the left of the Labour Party which saw power a its single minded objeclive. Surprisingly no one on the left of the Labour eve serous thought of, or planned to DOWCLICS before. They wrote about in newspapers or proclaimed it in speeches and then left things at that. Power CLPD set about achieving power for the powerless eles and le of lad - in of the Labour Party, which since its formation had been forced into a position of subordination by a domi within the • pallalicilal y It did this without 1CAU1 rhetoric. As a result it was successful something This is a third aspect of Campaign Forum Women and WAC, not make the politics style, or the politics of protest, priority. Instead they alterBases out of THE UNITED States air-raid of on Libya means that Britain's international alliances will be high on the Labour Party conference agenda next week. With 14 resolutions calling for all US bases out, that policy is certain to get debated, and it looks as if the majority of CLPs will be supporting this demand to