tee of the Campaign the AGM.
GWYNNETH Dunwoody said that WAC makes a fetish of constitutional reforms in the Party and doesn't relate to the day to day concerns of ordinary women.
She has also argued positive discrimination, saying that the majority of women reject tokenism. Do you think that this is why you've failed to win your demands so far? Gwynneth Dunwoody's criticism of positive action rcmarkable her position within the Party derives entirely from Arthur Henderson's distorted notion of positive action in 1918.
It was in that vear that Arthur Henderson and the agreed four places for women on the NEC The discrimination was distorted because the election was by men.
Dunwoody owes her place on the NEC CALl Cly LOUI positive discrimination. She is your genuine token woman. She is the trade union leadership's token gesture towards women. We want end token gestures. We want positive discrimination at all levels of the Party, not just at the level of the NEC.
As to the question of relating to working wollicil. knows anything about the history of the labour movement in she knows that working people Call ol relate to each other and oppose their enemies without organisation.
We seek that same collective organisation of working class women that working class men have enjoyed for so long.
As to whether working women understand the constitution the Labour Party and are inTerested a changing think Gwynneth probably right.
Firstly Py mysties, are and com mystifying complicated and this acts as a deterrent to working class women men), secondly they are engaged their own separate struggles and to them the Labour Party looks light years away. perience. What we are trying to do is to demvstitv procedures, and organise and begin to open up that organisation to the direction of working women.
What Militant argue is that WAC, and the campaign for positive discrimination in the Party, is not relevant women because it focuses gelling parliament. It doesn't DCIYC the CALINE broader struggle for socialism.
I think Militant are saying Meeting of the Women's Action Commitfor Labour Party Valerie Coultas spoke to secretary of WAC about the issues which will be discussed at two things here. One is that teminism is not central to the for socialism. We argue that the feminist project of ending definition by their sex and their role in the family is central to the socialist project.
As to parliamentarianism, women denied access to powerful HOSULUDORS whether they be the TUC, the Labour Party or parliament. Men exercise Women We entirely refute tho notion that by remaining powerless women will best advance their UWIl inLCIESES. I suspect that the men in Militant rather take that view.
On the question of the left the what WAC's reason for discussing the 'relaxation' of its relationship with the Campaign To the dismay of many,. Clause 4 to Socialist Action, OUl reasons purely administrative. It simply impractical .continue dual membershin both organisations. It's also verv expensive tor WAC supporters.
But there's no denying that women are getting inBolshie (can use that word?) in the about organising the selves When eight out of memoers or lne NCl are men this reaction is entirely understandable.
At the same time we have no intention of giving up our style of campaigning. We intend to achieve for women what CLPD achieved for the rank and file using the Party's democratic channels procedures to gain maxuluill ass louls subooll for changes in the women's organisation.
The point about my quesParty is in crisis to an extent, it's fragmented.
I can see why WAC has to continue to focus demands, but what about the alliances make independeared to make CLPD?
Women in WAC feel that the left have brought the crisis on themselves. Many oi us have been vociterous in allocating blame to individuals tions.
I feel this particularly and I am extremely critical of the way in which men on the lett have organised their claims in sonalised aggressive way. We in WAC have a far friendly way of organising ILOIC although we recognise the need for discipline and the formulation of clear sighted strategy.
But surely behind WAC's attitude to the rest of the Party there is more involved than a question of style. There's also a about what project the should have following the on democratic they Should leadere lice have made The choice very clearly, demanding a blank cheque support leadership as a condition tor unity What t is your personal view organising the left in The first point to make is that women have always been on the margins of Party decision making and organisation. The situaLOR we find ourselves outside main body of SuDDOrI for une current leadership, is not This is not to say that women do not want to be of the mainstream.
We very much do Equally cannot deny that would be a lot easier for us were enjoying the happy position the LCC.
For a moment before the leadership some or us tougni inat this new, young, dynamic WOlO Snow itself progressive on women's question.
Neil Kinnock and Roy Hattersley both very firmly closed the doors on us in their reply to our questionnaire Women are once again on the outside, but unlike the rest of the Party not satisfied not afraid of causing trouble and strife. After all our all is atoniv ore of uniting the Heyeilcill as a whole not just the male section of it.
You still have some pretty powerful opposition defeat if you are to achieve victory namely the trade union bureaucracy. They have been pretty steadfast in their hostility up until now, with the exception of the backing you got for a special rules con crence on organisation. What is your strategy for deteating this opposition now?
hope at the AGM that WAC will make a priority of working in the unions, especially in APEX, ASTMS USDAW, Tailor Garment Workers where women form the overwhelming majority of the members.
for the next Labour Party conference are:
Women's Conference.
for women.
proper rules for the Women's Organisation.
Sun 4 December, life the We have to channel all our energies into pushing demands through democratic procedures in It's a hell of a task for three reasons. One. mosi women are not in unions that are affiliated to the Labour Party. They are in NALGO, the NUT and the CPSA where there is already a strong feminist presence.
Secondly, and I speak here, if you expert te here, go out work, if you're a parent and you're active in the taking the bureaucracy is incredibly difficult.
Thirdly, the unions affiliated to the Party are controlled by men who are intransigently determined to keep their hands on the evers of power Take Asted delta male dominated The three demands that WAC will be prioritising • The NEC women's section should be elected by the • Positive discrimination on parliamentary shortlists • The holding of a special rules conference to establish annual general meeting , 10am-5pm, County Hall, London SE1. (Creche provided) tion voted against ASTMS mittedly they were. Admittedly suaded to do this by Mel were Reid, an ASTMS fulltimer. But they had the an power to give effect to this deci- decision instead they used their power oppose women in their union.
Naturally all this the day that the daunting for us but at the same time the confidence of women has grown since the Le are channelion only 1980. More our anger more effectively than in the past.