• Policy on Abortion
• Closed shop policy (u/c)

                                                                                                        30 May 2001

Policy on Abortion

(Emphasis added)
1.  Resolution 234, passed at its Annual Delegate Meeting at Norwich in 1981, states:
 

"This ADM reaffirms the Union's position on abortion as being that of a woman's right to choose.

"This ADM supports the Woman's Right to Choose Campaign.

"ADM pledges its backing for the newly-formed Woman's Right to Choose Group in Ireland.  ADM instructs the NEC to support any move to liberalise existing abortion legislation wherever the union has members"

(p 125 "The Facilitators", Lowry, Brandsma Books)

2.  Resolution 79, passed at its Annual Delegate Meeting in Portrush in 1980, advocated the strongest possible campaign in favour of existing British legislation on abortion being extended to Northern Ireland.

(Idem, p.124)
 

3.  Resolution 184, passed at its ADM in Sheffield in 1986, a motion proposed by the Irish Eastern Branch, which read:
 

"This ADM condemns the attempt by SPUC to obstruct and deny women access to information on fertility control and pregnancy counselling which cannot exclude abortion."

(Idem, p.130)

4. "The Case of Billy Quirke" appears at Chapter 17 of The Facilitators.
 

Comment:

Not all NUJ members necessarily support abortion.  However, as far as can be ascertained, the above resolutions still stand at early 2001.

The NUJ is a British-based union.  John Horgan, in his recent book "Irish Media - A Critical History since 1922", Routledge, says that the Irish Area Council of the Union distanced itself from the 1981 resolution.   Lowry however, dismisses these attempts, and says that that Resolution was still (at 1986) the policy of the NUJ.  The idea, he says, that there are two NUJ's : a nasty pro-aborion English one and nice, furry, pro-life Irish one - is entirely false. (p.117)

Quotations from "The Facilitators" are with the permission of the author.

End

29 May 2001