ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the manner in which different groups sought to take advantage of the broader principles of fair representation. It addresses specific issues of class, race and gender. The chapter indicates how low-paid seats facilitate diversity amongst women but not amongst men. It notes how some groups used the concept of fair representation to argue for more class-based and job-based diversity. These arguments found expression in strong pressures to reconceptualise fair representation in terms of a balance between former partner unions. The chapter indicates the absence of race, sexuality and disability in such discussions and illustrates the danger of prioritising gender and class-based fair representation over race. It indicates how self-organised groups argued for the representation of their groups on the National Executive Council and other bodies. The chapter explains a different set of processes surrounding the shaping of fair representation. Finally, it reviews the arguments for and against reserved seats.
