Equality requires the right to choose

The single issue taking up most of the time of UNISON’s senior national officers for the last couple of years has been equal pay.

We face the dilemma of continuing unequal pay more than a generation after the equal pay act.

One key factor in accounting for this is the impact upon women’s life chances of the unequal sharing of the work involved in child-rearing.

That’s one of the reasons why women’s reproductive rights are a central trade union issue – and why access to legal, safe abortion is a vital social gain of the last century.

The anti-abortionists talk about the “right to life” but it is the majority who support choice who have a life-affirming agenda.

There is no compelling evidence for a reduction in the current legal time limit for abortion, and those promoting such a change are anti-choice altogether.

That’s why every trade unionist who can should get along to tomorrow’s protest at Parliament. Those who can’t (and those who can) should also contact our MPs.