Trades councils under threat

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MEMBERS or officers of 20 Trades Councils defied Len Murray's threat of expulsion by attending a conference on Ireland last weekend in London.

The conference, organ ised by the 'Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign', was the subject of a circular letter from the TUC stating that Trades Councils or members of Trades Councils must refuse support to it or face expulsion.

This even applied to members sponsoring the conference in their personal capacity.

Although in the past the tactics and slogans of the SPTAC have been doubtful, we must defend them and those who sponsored the conference against the thought-control threats coming from the TUC.

If Trades Councils stood by TUC policy on every issue, they would be hollow shells useful for nothing except rubber-stamping TUC circular letters. Many Trades Councils refuse to act like that, and are threatened by the TUC for it.

This conference was not sponsored by Trades Councils, only by individuals. As yet nothing has happened to them, but we must be prepared to defend them if Len Murray decides to make good his threats.

Send messages of support to SPTAC, BM RCT, London WCIV 6XX.

TURKEY SOLIDARTLY CAMPAIGN Turkey Solidarity Campaign: Box BM 5965, London WCIN 3XX.

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Thursday THE National Abortion Campaign is desperately struggling to fight the new restrictions on abortion rights, and the threatened prosecution of five doctors.

The • DHSS has ruled the doctors who perform abortions under the 1967 Act, that social considerations alone do not constitute grounds for legal abortions.

Back door

But doctors like Professor Peter Huntingford have made it clear that they will not state false medical conditions as a reason for performing an abortion, when in fact the 1967 Act says that a woman's "actual or forseeable environment" may be taken into account.

The vast majority of abortions performed since 1967 have been on social rather than medical grounds, and if the DHSS manages to enforce this new restriction, abortion rights will be left in shreds. The TUC must be called upon There have been constant attacks on the 1967 Abortion Amendment Act, through restrictive Bills-but all these have been smashed due to the energetic work of organisations like NAC, and defend doctors against prosecution the support of women, trade unions and the Labour This new restriction has been slipped in through the back door, via a Statutory Instrument of Parliament. It means the law has been changed without any Parliamentary debate.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has referred five cases for prosecution already. No charges have By Nelle ngtr been laid as yet, but it they are, doctors will be charged under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, and face max anum jail sentence of 14 years.

Professor Huntingford (formerly responsible for the Mile End Day Care Clinic) and well known for his defence of women's abortion and maternity rights said:

"If this prosecution goes ahead, I would regard it as the prosecution of 80% of the women who have had legal abortions under the 1967 Abortion Act. I feel l am in good company."

The DPP will only pursue prosecution if it believes there is at least a 50% chance of conviction.

But as soon as charges are put, campaigning for the defendant will be hampered. Therefore it is crucial that we work now to convince the government that the medical profession, the Labour Party, trades unions and women themselves do not support restrictions in the 1967 Act. in This latest attack has taken us by surprise and socialists should be doing everything they can to support NAC, the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign, Abortion Law Reform Association, the National Labour Women's Committee and working women's organisations, and the National Council for Civil Liberties, in defence of abortion rights. Things to do:

Move resolutions along the lines of the text below at your union, branch or "This organisation opposes and condemns the DHSS Statutory Instrument of March 1981 Which amounts to a back-door restriction of the right to abortion provided under the 1967 Abortion Act.

We call upon our National Executive Committee, the TUC and the Labour Party to ensure that the strength of the labour movement is mobilised in the campaign against these regulations, and to lend their support to any campaign which has the objective of overturning them.

We oppose any prosecution of doctors under these new measures and any restrictions on women's right to abortion. In the event of prosecutions taking place we call upon the health unions to take the lead in fighting for strike action in defence of those victimised."

*Demand and write letters to this effect to the DHSS and Health Minister Vaughan (Hannibal House, London SE1 6TE), and to Prime Minister Thatcher.

*Write also along these lines to MPs, Community Health Councils, GPs and the press.

*Send copies of motions demanding action to the leaders of the health unions -MPU, COHSE, NUPE-and if possible, to Socialist Organiser, where we will be following the campaign.

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T.U.C. says KEEP IT LEGAL KEEP IT SAFE