Received from: Unison
Congress asserts that the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court is the biggest attack on abortion rights since the 1970s.
There are many US states ready to bring in bans following this ruling. These bans won’t stop abortions. But they will stop safe abortions, and they will make it a crime to assist someone to have an abortion.
This means thousands of working-class people, mainly women, face an unwanted pregnancy, an unsafe procedure, a jail sentence. Rich people will be okay – they can afford to travel to states or countries without bans, or to check in to a private clinic.
We cannot be complacent: our right to choose and access to abortion has repeatedly come under attack, and the Supreme Court decision will give confidence to those wanting to attack abortion rights. Nadine Dorries used the publicity around the Tory leadership battle to call for reducing the time limit for abortion.
Working-class people and the trade union movement have come together before to fight for our right to choose. The TUC called the biggest ever protest to defend abortion rights against the Corrie Bill in 1979, mobilising 80,000 people onto the streets. This made a huge difference to the campaign, and to women in the workplace.
Congress calls on the General Council to:
i. encourage unions to affiliate to Abortion Rights UK
ii. campaign for decriminalisation of abortion in England, Scotland and Wales and for fair access
iii. organise a national TUC demonstration to defend abortion rights.
UNISON
Amendment
› Insert new paragraph 5:
‘’Congress believes young people need reliable sources of information about abortion via the school curriculum. This should explain the law, distinguish between fact and opinion and use accurate information about reproductive health, so that students can learn about their bodies and their reproductive rights, in age-appropriate ways.’’
National Education Union