Many of us will join a union at work as some sort of insurance, or because we want to support our colleagues. Few of us go beyond that and get involved or even find out about their policies. Perhaps we should take a look at what some of them are saying in our names, especially with regard to abortion.

Some time ago I discovered that my own former union, the University and College Union (UCU), had some very pro-abortion policies. I was alerted to this when I read a motion to their 2008 congress stating that abortion rights represent an advance for women and relating this to pre-1967 days when back street abortions caused the deaths of “thousands” of women. Clearly, these union activists have ignored the rights of the millions of little girls and boys killed by abortion. The motion went further to support easier access to abortion. My response to this was to resign from the union and to stop my contributions immediately. I wrote to the local representative and the national president to explain that I could not allow any portion of my subscription to be used to support such a campaign. The thought that someone somewhere could be lobbying on my behalf for easier access to abortions is sickening.

If you are reading this and wondering if your own union supports such anti-life policies, the so-called “Abortion Rights Campaign” conveniently lists its other supporters as AMICUS, TGWU, ASLEF, FBU, CWU, RMT, BECTU and the TUC. Perhaps you might want check them out and think about whether you should allow them to continue using your subscription and your name in this way.

D. Greer

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