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in April to acquaint people with the implications of the James White Bill.
The Women's Trade Union Congress recently passed a resolution calling for free abortion and contraception on demand But just as this body of the labour move- ver their own lives. ment -and many others are calling for an extension of the 1967 Abortion Act, moves are afoot in Parliament to introduce severe restrictions to the Act.
### JAMES WHITE
James White's (Labour MP, Pollock) Abortion (Amendment) Bill is seeking to to restrict abortion facilities to such an extent that only in cases where it can be proved that a "grave or serious risk" to the woman's physical or mental health exists, would an abortion be granted. This would cut the present numbers of abortions performed by about 80%. Some 80,000 women would be forced to choose between an unwanted child or a backstreet abortion.
### RESPONSES
These contradictory responses to the law as it stands, and this fight ov. er the availability of abortion facilities in the future, reflects more than just a different "moral' outlook. It reflects rather the struggle between those forces in society seeking to tie women to the home, reinforcing and stabilising the family, and re-introducing Christian "morality" as the basis for social life and social relations. On the other hand are those forces prepared to fight to free women from unwanted pregnancy, to make it possible for a woman to plan her life, and to look beyond the home and the family; to release her from a fearful and cautious sexuality.
The dispute is therefore not so much about the rights of he 'unborn child" A workshop at the one-day Conference organised by the National Abortion Campaign held as about the right or otherwise of women to control their own fertility and thus develop an element of control oAnd for these reasons, the present Amendment Bill must be defeated and the basis laid in the process to fight for a campaign for free abortion and contraception on demand. A National Abortion Campaign (NAC) has been set up to organise a mass national campaign against this legislation (and all restrictive legislation) on the basis of a woman's right to choose. Many local groups have been set up throughout the country and work is going ahead to build the campaign around the projected national demonstration on 21 June in London, Resolutions of support for the demonstration and the campaign have been passed in a large to the James White restrictive abortion bill.
Doctors occupying iers the next morning that they would come out publicly in opposition to the bill.
number of trade union branches and Trades Councils. The demonstration itself is sponsored by a long list of organisations including the IMG, the International Socialists, the Communist Party, Labour Party Young Socialists, National Union of Students, local Labour Constituency Parties, etc. In addition, nine women Labour MPs have put out a formal call for the labour movement to support the demonstration.
LABOUR MOVEMENT There has been welcome support from bodies of the labour movement.
But we must demand now that the TUC take a position for the trade union movement for free abortion and contraception on demand, and they they fight to implement any decision.
This means not just a fight against the amendment but a fight for abortion to be a woman's right to chose, not that of two doctors required under the 1967 Act. It also means a fight for the necessary facilities to be provided to ensure this is realistic. The Lane Commission's Report recommends setting up out-patient facilities, and training para-medical staff.
J0:1 Michael Tomlinsor (IFL)] The British Medical Association's headquarters in London were occupied for the first time ever on May 22. A group of doctors and medical students staged a sit in insisting that Dr, Derek Stevenson, Secretary of BMA, organise action by the EMA in opposition Copies of the BMA's confidential eridence to the Select Committee have since Been released. Even the sinid and conservative RMA had been forced to "criticise atmost every clease in the Bf, according to one of thie The BMA -either embarrased by the whole thing-told the occup This h the type of action which will ensure a massive ture-out for 21 June demonstr