THIS year's TUC women's conference was the most combative for many years. Alongside it the campaign against the Alton bill has struck deeper roots into the unions than any previous campaign against an attack on abortion rights. unionists are demanding more, and demanding it more vocally and more determinedly with each year that passes.
The TUC The 111011 the September the its show an increase of which the majority Wollici. other two OVel the period are It appears that women trade end to the long stagnation decline in recruitment since these unions also share a particular concern workers in different fields. Thev have all engaged in high profile recruit women workers.
The GMB in particular nas esumated itsell as tae of the future It appears that this is having a pay-off for the GMB.
Also published last week WelC figures which showed that the workforce is projected to continue to 19pS. Of this increase it is expand De ween, bringing lie women, bringing up 12.3 million.
This continuing rise in the female worktorce having decisive impact It underpins the breadth of the response in the unions to the Alton bill.
While the response to Corrie was relatively swift and effective with the TUC calling national straightaway, the response to Alton has in fact gone into the uccuel unions. With Alton the national TUC response been rather less effective, pase LICE unions there is a level of which bul Jasser previous campaigns.
The growth USDAW membership NALGO and the GMB is sioniiicant LUC just for these unions but for the future strategy of the labour movement. It is no exaggeration to say that women show the way ward for the whole labour movement.
Winning the support or women is tne key or ut unions to turn the growth into growth in membership, and winning women voters is a key to Labour government.
In this CUllICAl the figures published the Research Department showing 16121 evel among the ten unions with female membership there is only improvement the representation at executive and full time level spelis real problems in the future for Of the ten unions only the significant improvement in of womer on its executive, from 3 per cent to 28 per cent in two years since the last survey due to the introduction of a ba per cent quota for women.
Only NUPE has achieved 50 per cent, while USDAW stagnated and NALGO al around 36 The TGWU's figure of 5 per cent is one of the most shocking.
At the level of full time is serialy berind will seriously with only 5 per cent. NALGO shows sharp increase from 10 per cent up to 20 per cent, but COHSE is the stongest with a (CLE Alongside this the failure of the Labour Parensile that tali policy of abortion rights is adhered to by Labour MPs is a sympton of the same The failure of both unions and Labour Party to really deliver the goods for women callia disregard not just for the interests of women. but o the labour movement as a whole.
The women's TUC indicated that women themselves are less and less willing to put up with this. mon he Haos and tac women are the key to , the future un• fortunately will be up to women themselves force the laboul movement to face up to the challenge.
Socialist Action April 1988