she aberteen Rvoumovemeneras ser an excellent example of how to fight against the reactionary ideas of the anti-abortionists.
Two months ago, militants found out that SPUC intended to open a pregnancy counselling centre in Market Street, Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Abortion Campaign - wilen mcudes representatyes of the National Abortion Campaign, the International Marxist Group, the International Socialists, the Young Communist League, the Labour Party Young Socialists, and various independents - promptly decided to mobilise against its opening.
The Aberdeen Abortion Campaign first circulated information about SPUC's intentions to trade union branches, Labour rary councuors, and local Labour MP Bob Hughes. A quick response to the circular came from Donside and Dis trict branch of the printworkers' union SOGAT.
The socAl Dranen carried a resolu tion asking the Aberdeen Trades Council to call on the Labour-controlled district council to close the SPUC centre and mount a campaign against SPUC's activities.
Five days before the centre was due to open. the rades Council almost un animously passed the SOGAT motion, declaring its support for the campaign The two local dailies covered this, and to quote the newspaper hoardings all over the cv me aperdeen ADorEon Battle' was on!
ried a letter from the Abortion Campaign, with another from the SPUC chairman, headed Abortion - two points of view. SPUC's claim to be a pregnancy counseling service was exposed. The instruction was quoted: "Our own convictions concerning the sanctity of life must be sufficient to persuade the girl that abortion is not the solution to her problems and that it is reallv in her own best interests to have her baby.
A picket that evening outside the slogans calling for "A woman's right to choose - not SPUC's ' and "Better housing, social benefits and abortion. A delegation of four SOGAT workers joined the picket, and it attracted a lot of attention from people in the city centre.
It is intended to continue and step up the anti-SPUC campaign. IMG members are urging the need for the campaign to be taken up in local hospitals where it is hoped shop stewards will arrange for meetings for speakers from the National Abortion Campaign.
The other main weakness of the film is that it appears to On 18 August the morning paper carsheet issued to potential SPUC counsellors her statement.
centre was about 50 strong, and displayed health problems therefore finds a ready response amongst Labour's Movements like SPUC help to strengthen this trend. Its empha sis on the 'virtues of motherhood', the sanctity of the family and its preservation of morality provide ideological cover for attacks on the rights of women in particular and the working class in general.
Unless the workers' movement advances its own collective and socialist solution to the crisis, and unhesitatingly allies itself with women who are fighting for their emancipa tion, organisations like SPUC will play on the divisions between men and women to further divide the working class movement. FULL EQUALITY The campaign against SPUC is not just the responsibility of the women's movement. It is a campaign that has to be fought by the entire labour movement, which must fully grasp that an essential step on the road to socialism is the establishment of absolute and full equality for women.