By Tessa van Gelderen ALEX KITSON, this year's chairman (sic) at Labour Party conference, received a bouquet from delegate Janet Pickering. tion came at the end of the debate on positive discrimination for women.
was pur pose show conference that women were not prepared be patronised by the likes of Kitson. Earlier in the conference he had suggested that women shoul concentrate on making tea not poliass was. perhaps, concern that women were getuDDILY the Labour Party that resulted in the motion and amendments positive discrimination for women Ull being remitted. After all it would never do to allow the Labour Party's women's conference 'have the right to submit five resolutions of the final agenda for debate at the Labour Party Annual Conference.
And it was certainly going too far for some of the delegates, Varicularly our trade union brothers, allow organise women's sections without requiring apThe presentaCommittee: the General The union delegations obviously did not like to be told to put their own house in order by being 'encouraseu to ensure indi their delegation to annual contiererce accurately reflect female membership That would certainly Caus a snake uoo locu delegations: women made up less than › per cent o.
they represented ons, and OnLy cent of the total number of conference delegates. Tight basic fans wed highlighted by Jennv wards Paddington when she spoke in the debate. As she said: "The need for positive discrimination for women is clear.
Women did have some successes conference: they forced the issue of positive action for women on to the conference agenThese three left-wingers managed to retain their seats on the Clarke, Scottish Miners' general secretary with MPs Skinner and Benn da, by persuading conlerence to refer back the recommendation of the arrangements committee that it not be taken.
There was also a successful reference pack of the National Executive Committee's report on women's organisation in the party on the grounds Jo Richardson: allowing free vote?
that not enough money or resources had been put into Jo Richardson MP, who had spoken on i behalf of the NEC, told delegates that decide it the repore decide should be referred back. Again. this was haraly a NEC - Eric normal 'recommendation' from an NEC member.
Women delegates were extremely well organised and militant. As delegate pointed out she had never known there to be so many fringe meetings on women's issues.
But like all the debates that took place in the week, the debate positive discrimination for polarised the conference. Delegates challenged the sections, an indication that these structures have become weapons for women in the party. Their main concern is no longer making tea and cakes.
The debate at conference took the discussion on positive discrimination forward. No longer IS It enough that there are specific posts set aside for women (for example that the NEC 'when co-opting members for subcommittees should adopt the target of 50 per cent of women.); women had to be actively encouraged to participate in the first place.
Many people are now beginning to recognise that women cannot play a full role in the Labour Party without special measures being taken.
As Mel Read from the technicians union ASTMS, spelled out at a fringe meeting on Workan Women Right Work': have treated shabbily the Labour Party for outside years...
the party have no trust in She also pointed out what every woman knows: we have two burdens, the work place and in the home. And all women aclive in the labour move ment are under pressure to up both 'women's Lanc issues' and trade union cucouvils Highlight These problems were highlighted by Elaine Cross, TASS shop steward from the Laurence Scott strike.
explained that when they first went on strike the men usually forgot about her existence if anyone came up to the pickel line asking I01 a steward.
But as she said: 'When Elaine Cross - picket duty before football. women are on picket duty, we don't go off and play football on Sundays cook the Sunday dinner.
We're there all the time.' And women have played an equal role in the occupation of the factory and union's headquarters despite attempts by some of the men to get , WUNCI out when the police were called in.
For anyone who thinks that women can make l on their own' standing the specific problems they face, Ann tor th union put them straight at the same your MP vote?
David Ennals (Norwich N).
(Dulwich). William Melisa sermone seve Barnett (Heywood and Royton), Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland), lan (Gateshead E Frederick Willey noreen. boo drowninewcaste wr (Redcar), wright (Dearne Rees (Leeds S), Walter Harrison Gordon Spiggs (St Helens) nett (Nottingham E)
(West Bromwich E)
George Park (Coventry NW), ington South), Bryan cham and Morden).
(Ayrshire S).
Campbell (Dunbarton
«untermune James White (Greenock).
Guy Barnett (Greenwich), Tockoonu.
Cowans (Newcastle
(Waltham Forest)
field Heeley), (Slough), his brother Sney (Dunbarton Central)
Hial (Hull Central).
- Rooker (Perry Barr • Wright (Handsworth), thur Lewis (Newham NW).
meeting union,' she said, '92 cent of the membership are women. be deputy seciclal y ficers only are women. ore went on to acut that the only way to overcome this was fight locally and nationally for preferential seats for ference and in she fringe The debates meetings all look up ine right of women to work need for positive discrimination. inside the labour movement to show that these are not divisive issues still has to continue The Labour Party and the trade unions have : to house in order while at the same time leading a campaign for women to have the right to work in a society that makes women second class : citizens.
That means the labour movement has to undersLaHO wh specific measures like positive discrimination for women are indispensible in that SIXTY-TWO Labour MPs voted for Healey while for Benn. went Roy Mason (Barn ford N), Oonagh McDonald (Thurrock), Sam Silkin Wilson (Coventry SE), Bob vare (Workington), Gordon Bagier (Sunderland S), Joel Betty Boothroyd Bernard Con David Clark (South Shields) (Sunderland N), Grant James ima James Johnson (Hull W), Edwin Wain Valley). Shirley Summerskill (Halifax), Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield E).
Fred (Sheffield Park), (Wakefield), Tom McNally Oakes (Widnes), Michae McGuire (Ince), Gerald Kaufman (Ardwick), Leslie Alan Fitch (Wigan), Jack DunWilliam Whitlock (Nottingham N.), Peter Snape John Sever (Ladywood) (Coventry NE), Geoffrey Robinson John Parker (Dagenham), Reginald Freeson (Brent E), Thomas Graham (Edmonton), Clinton Davis (Hackney Central), Ronald Brown (Hacknev South). Georoe Cunninoham (Is.
Magee (Leyton), Roland Movle Lewisham E, Bruce Douglas-Mann (Mit Douglas Jay (Battersea N). Tom Cox (Tooting) Arthur Palmer (Bristol NE), David Stoddart (Swin (Dunbarton E), Dick Douglas James namuton tootwen, cond Smith (Lanark N), Gregor Mackenzie (Rutherglen), (Pollok), Maybon Dickson Twenty-eight either abstained or failed to vote at all in spite of constituency support for Benn:
Andrew Bennett Norman Buchan (Renfrew W). Harn Central), Deakins Albert Duffy (Attercliffe)
Garrett (Wallsend), Frank Hooley (Shef Russell Kerr (Hounslow) Robert Kilroy-Silk (Ormskirk), Neil Kinnock (Bedwellty), Arred Morris (Wythen Charles Morris (Openshaw) § George Morton (Moss Side), Martin O'Neill (Clac mannan), Stanley Orme (Salford W), Hugh McCartrenistone.. Kevin McNamara John McWilliam (Blayden), Laurie Pavitt (Brent S), Thomas Pendry (Stalybridge), Jeff . John Silkin (Deptford), Sheila Bob Mitchell (Itchen), Ar
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Benn vs Healey How did