COHSE AIDS Guidelines May 1985

COHSE led the way amongst British trade unions in trying to dispel myths and anti gay paranoia around HiV/Aids. 

COHSE guidelines were published in May 1985 when nurses with HiV were being sacked simply for having HiV and staff were refusing to deal with HiV patients.

COHSE (UNISON) LGBT

 

COHSE was one of the first unions to officially back LGBT Rights and was very active in the campaign to stop Clause 28

Unlike the Royal College of Nursing, Who's Vice President Baroness Cox was  one of the main advocates of the Clause

COHSE NEC Members - Region 6 North West Thames & Oxford

GEORGE NAZER

George Nazer was elected to COHSE's National Executive Committee for Region 6 (North West Thames & Oxford) in 1979, replacing Andy Dempsey (Leavesden). George a former Durham University geography student, joined the NHS in 1973 becoming the Vice Chairman of Shenley Hospital (Hertfordshire) branch in 1974 , Branch Chairman in 1975 and Branch secretary in 1977. Later moving to a mental health unit at St Mary's and later central Middlesex hospital.

George Nazer was  undoubtedly one of the most highly effective, progressive and intellectual member's of COHSE's NEC, traits only overshadowed by his commitment to ensuring professionalism in mental health nursing.


ROY OLIVER

Roy Oliver was a nurse and branch secretary at Hungerford Hospital (established 7th August 1968) and later Reading and District COHSE branch.

He led a successful campaign to save the 100 beded care of the elderly Hungerford Hospital in 1978/79

A key supporter of the Berkshire Joint Trade Union Committee which Roy chaired.

A Liberal Councillor in Hungerford (later he joined the Labour Party because of the failure of the Liberals to oppose the Tories in the 80's).

He was a National Executive Committee Member for Region 6 

Roy Oliver was openly "Gay"  speaking out for Gay rights at every opportunity , he wore his pink triangle "Gay Rights" badge with pride when it was not popular or safe to do so.
 

Roy was a popular NEC member and his popularity helped COHSE in securing an early trade union commitment to Lesbian and Gay rights. However he had earlier been slow hand clapped for supporting Gay rights at COHSE Conference.

COHSE's early commitment to Lesbian and gay rights culminated in the union refusing to hold its conference on the Isle of Man and its high profile opposition to Clause 28.

Roy was involved in the Battle Hospital Miners Support Group

Like so many of his friends he died young.

JENNY KOCH

Jenny Koch was elected in a shock victory over the popular Roy Oliver in 1985. Jenny was branch Secretary of COHSE Wycombe branch and a community Midwife.  She qualified as a nurses at Suffolk General hospital in 1968. In 1975 moving to Wycombe. Active in a successful campaign to save community midwives in Wycombe

Jenny Koch along with Christine Wilde were active COHSE midwives on the NEC, and reflected COHSE's base (continued in UNISON) amongst radical midwives.

Both COHSE's and Unison's had great success in secure COHSE/Unison midwives were elected midwifery positions on the old UKCC Nursing Boards, despite not being the dominate union in midwifery


DAN MORIARTY


Dan Moriarty was one of the most popular and respected members of the National Executive Committee until his retirement last year (1972). He had represented No. 6 Region
since 1968 and was also a member of the Legal and Parliamentary Committee and
the Staff Superannuation Committee.
 
Dan, accompanied by his wife, was the guest of honour at the Annual General
Meeting of his former region on 16 April and was presented with a cheque and
framed life-membership certificate.

  In making the presentation, Tom Hedditch.  Regional Chairman during Dan's
term of office, referred to his exceptional personal qualities saying: 'He was never
too busy to try to help not only his fellow trade unionists but his fellow men.' His
generosity  and  compassion  were  well known and demonstrated in his everyday
approach to life: although he had suffered the horrors of a Japanese prisoner of war
camp, he bore no resentment towards his former captors - his regard for his fellow
men was not limited by race or creed.

  St Bernard's Hospital Branch, where he was branch secretary, owes a great deal to
Dan's organising abilities; it is now one of the largest branches in the country, and
Charlie Wood, who spoke as a member of the National Executive Committee, said
that Dan's point of view had always been respected  and  he  paid  tribute  to  his
diligence and devotion to duty.

  Mrs Moriarty, who was presented with a bouquet of flowers, was described as
'The good woman behind the man'. There is no doubt that her support had contributed to her husband's success.

  In reply Dan, who now lives in South Wales, said it had always been a pleasure
to carry out the various duties required of him, and referred to No. 6 Region as the
most vigilant and enthusiastic in the Confederation. He sincerely hoped that the
standards he had set over the years were acceptable.

  As Regional Secretary, may I say that for No. 6 Region there is no doubt that
Dan Moriarty's standards were most acceptable - the point is whether we who
follow him can even attempt to follow in his footsteps. We wish him all the best for
a long and happy retirement.

COHSE Journal June 1973

Women's Reserve Ambulance - World War One

Evelina Haverfield nee Scarlett was born in Scotland on the 9th August 1867. On her marriage to Major Henry Haverfield she moved to Devon, Caundle Marsh, Dorset and later Peace Cottage, Brendon, North Devon.

She accompanied her second husband John Blaguy to South Africa, where he was in the military. Her sister Ella Scarlett- Synage) a doctor, was also in South Africa working with Millicent Fawcett in monitoring the British Concentration camps for Boer prisoners and their families.


On her return to Britain, Evelina Haverfield became a prominent suffragette, initially involved in in the West of England National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) she joined the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU) 1909 and became secretary of Paddington branch of the WSPU in 1910.

Her horse riding skills were used to great advantage by the suffragettes when tackling mounted police and in providing mounted horse escorts for suffragette events.

She was arrested for her part in the suffragette "Black Friday" on 18th November 1910 an accused of assaulting a police officer, on her arrest she was reported as stating that " next time I will bring a revolver".

A year later, 1911 she was sent to Holloway jail for two weeks for her part in suffragette disturbances on 21st November 1911

By 1914 she had joined Sylvia Pankhurst's East London Federation becoming its treasurer.

It was during her suffragette work that Haverfield came into contact with Vera Holme, who would later become her Lesbian partner.


During World War One Haverfield was appointed Commandant in Chief of Women's Reserve Ambulance (Green Cross Society) in August 1914, but left after a disagreement and became involved in the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia from 1915.

She spent the rest of her life fighting for the rights of the Serbian people

Evelina Haverfield died on the 21st March 1920 of pneumonia in Bajina Basta , Serbia, and is buried in the local cemetery, later a children's health centre was named after her in the town.

Picure right of Evelina's grave (Thanks to Tom Allan)

LGBT History Month

COHSE was one of the first unions to support the call to stop Clause 28 of the Conservative's Local Government Bill,

This Clause sought to ban the promotion of Lesbian & Gay issues in Local government (and Schools).

COHSE supported the 30th April 1988 Stop the Clause rally at Kensington Park, speakers included Tracey Lambert COHSE Regional Officer and Gloria Mills of NUPE.

A number of protesters, including COHSE members were arrested at this rally by very hostile police, most were later aquitted.

COHSE also supported "Gay's the Word" bookshop, camden when threatened with closure by the Police.

COHSE also refused to hold it's conference in the Isle of Man, because of their failure to agree equal opportunities laws.



Roy Oliver (COHSE NEC member & Reading Branch secretary) was pioneer within COHSE, as was Angela Eagle COHSE research Officer (later MP for Wallasey).

the Key resolution on equality came from COHSE Hillingdon & District 618 branch

See posting on Roy Oliver

Lesbian & Gay Rights

1987 COHSE Conference set its face firmly against discrimination against gay men and lesbians with a call to support equal opportunities at work and in the trade union and Labour movement.

Michael Walker moved the resolution calling on COHSE “to ensure that all our members could live without fear of persecution”. Roy Oliver, (Reading and District branch) (right)told delegates: 'Discrimination exists in all walks of life. For the gay community it condemns us to hide, to 'As one of our great writers put it, "The love that dare not speak its name".'Gay people, he said, were experiencing a disease 'that takes then" loved ones from them, sometimes

after 15 or 20 years', and yet The Sun newspaper was holding 'We need positive images to change attitudes,' he said. 'We need education.' right. We ask to be treated as people with feelings who care and who love one another. We ask to be treated as Tony Ventham, (Park Royal Ambulance branch)supporting resolution 90. said: 'The question of gay rights and the question of people being split from each other in the workplace.

But Alan Couch, Cefn Coed, spoke against the resolution. 'The best interests of society in this matter would be best served by a further Royal Commission,'
he suggested.

COHSE National Officer Judith Carter speaking for the NEC, called for support for the resolution.

'The whole question of AIDS has brought this issue sharply into focus,' she said. 'Gays and lesbians face discrimination in terms of their ability to obtain and

hold jobs and houses and there have been many instances of them being deprived of the custody of their children.

'As trade unionists we should be concerned at the hysteria which surrounds this issue. 'As trade unionists, as COHSE trade unionists, we need to insist that a person's sexuality is nothing to do with his or her ability to do the job.'

The resolution was carried.

Lesbian & Gay Rights

Resolution 90 COHSE Conference 1987

That this Conference opposes all discrimination against Lesbian and gay men and recognises that this discrimination is institutionalised in society as it is in the National Health Service.

Conference therefore welcomes and reaffirms COHSE's support for the lesbian and gay resolutions passed at the 1985 and1986 TUC and Labour Party Conferences and calls on the National Executive Committee to:

(i) oppose all discrimination against lesbian and gay men in the Health Service and in the trade union and Labour movement;

(ii) support the Labour councils' introduction of comprehensive equal opportunities policies including 'positive images' of lesbian and gay men such as in Ealing and Haringey Council;

(iii) support for district health authorities who have introduced comprehensive equal opportunities with union support;

(iv) campaign for all District Health Authorities to include in their equal opportunities policy opposition to discrimination against lesbian and gay men;

(v) support the awareness of lesbian and gay issues within COHSE and the trade union and Labour movement;

(vi) affiliate to the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights and support the
LCLGR Charter.

COHSE 618 HILLINGDON AND DISTRICT BRANCH

CARRIED

Roy Oliver - COHSE Gay Rights

Roy Oliver was a nurse and branch secretary at Hungerford Hospital (established 7th August 1968) and later Reading & District COHSE branch.

Lead a successful campaign to save the 100 beded care of the elderly Hungerford Hospital in 1978/79

A key supporter of the Berkshire Joint Trade Union Committee which Roy chaired

A Liberal Councillor in Hungerford (later he defected to Labour).

He was a National Executive Committee Member for Region 6 and would wear his pink triangle "Gay Rights" badge with pride.

Roy was a popular NEC member and his popularity helped COHSE in securing an early trade union commitment to Lesbian & Gay rights. However he had earlier been slow handclapped for supporting equality at COHSE Conference.

COHSE's eaarly committment to Lesbian & gay rights culminated in the union refusing to hold its conference on the Isle of Man and its opposition to Clause 28.

Roy was involved in the Battle Hospital Miners Support Group

Like so many of his friends he died young.

NOTE:

The origins of the Reading & District COHSE Branch go back to the establsihment of the COHSE Peppard United Branch formed by branches in the Reading and Henley area in 1952 with Tom Kelly as Branch secretary