Trade union conference ca

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TO IT'S A very wide-ranging in its programme, the agenda was found to be too tight and as a result the Conference only split into workshops on one occasion instead of three.

This was thought to be a shame by some of the 60 who attended the Conference.

Those attending caine from a wide range of backgrounds - campaigners, academics, professionals teaencs. social workers, a (teachers, inspector), child nursery minders, nursery workers, researchers, trade unionists, socialists and feminists. The workshops reflected this diversity.

There was also an international flavour to the Conference. Hermione Nursery places per 1,000 Day nurseries Nursery schools* / nursery classes* (*Just over ¼ are full RATIOS Day Nursery (care)

Nursery school and classes (education)

societies and their young not suffering adolescence.

•Hermione at the start of her brief warned and thinking they will work here - there was and is a great misuse of arthropology.

The other 'international' discussion was from woman from the Grenada Women's Organisation. Since the Grenadan. revolution women have opened their first nursery - which is being financed through a local bar!

The role of women is being looked at differently and the government is to give three months maternity leave with pay. 1979 1980 1981 9.93 10.13 10.18 72.2 75.9 77.3 1979 1980 5.10 5.13 to 22.4 LL.U , to l adult Britain Abroad Yet the following day Linda Challis played "devil's advocate' in her paper on whether the organisation of day care services was a conspiracy or chaos.

The two World Wars were the only two periods when the State was clear what they wanted - to free women for war work.

The way quesuuns had been answered after the wai is the reason we're in this muddle now!

Linda ended by stating that the state cøuld not afford daycare. It had to have an organising role rather than a providing one.

Andrew Bebbington's paper on váriations in local authority provision came up with very up-to-date statistics (unavailable lot campaigners from official resomies).

Much worse

Despite these figures the general picture is much worse. Those authorities where there was generally "better' provision were inner city areas, where there are more one parent families.

Andrew Bebbington made no bones that childcare services were beginning to contract for the first time since 1956 and stated quite clearly that we must fight to maintain state day care or we would have nothing.

Pat Petrie from the Thomas Coran Institute presented some recent research on childminding -the prevalent form of childcare. 36% 54% 16% 53% 31% Of the 66 minders surveyed/ in the Inner London area Pat returned 12 months later to look at the stability and the figures bore out that very few of the children had remained with minders in the very bad assessment group; whereas of those in the good assessment group only about one child had left.

The end result of the research shows that only one-quarter of the minders observed met DHSS criteria, In the discussion thạt followed it became clear from those responsible in local authorities for childminders (one woman only had 18½ hours a week to oversee 115 minders and 50 playgroups) it is very difficult to refuse registration.

Many minders who were refused won their cases in This piece of research points to what many have felt is inadequate provision - yet provision which because of the lack of facilities, is increasing.

While the Conference was interesting and people were able to air the issues it ended up untidily - the Research and Information worker of the campaign did not draw together any conclusions or ideas for the future on the basis of the papers and research presented.

*Next meeting of the NCCC, October 3, Bristol.

FIGHTBACK

THE small NALGO women's caucus held as one of the events of the National Festival for Women's Rights in May produced astounding results.

A fringe meeting was planned for NALGO conference the following month; regular meetings of women in NALGO have taken place in London; and on November 14 there is to be a nationwide conference for women in that union in Leeds.

Other trade union caucuses at the Festival, competing with a mass of other workshops and entertainments, were too small to get anything off the ground. But we believe the NALGO experience can be repeated for many other unions, given a dayconference devoted to the task.

At our AGM in August, Women's Fightback determined to make a big push to help establish nationwide women's caucuses in a number of trade unions.

Day school

We also decided to run a day-school on New Techthing the relevant unions are doing about it.

The two events will take place on a weekend early in February.

The main conference day will probably spend some time in subject-centred workshops (e.g. fightd.18 ctober snthly par of. • women e BOUR OVEMENT İNTBACK OMEN'S SH :

THEI ing sexism, fighting for jobs, against cuts etc, and the bulk of the time in separate union workshops laying plans for future work to build up fighting links between women, to make our mark at union conferences, and to support the struggles of women for equal rights in Landmark We aim to make this a very big, landmark conference, drawing , together enough women in major unions to form the basic framework for ongoing work. To do this will require the active work of all our readers and supporters in their own unions - to publicise the conferYOUNG WOMEN iN THE MARRiAGE The new Women's Fightback plus postage from 41 Ellingto London N7 ence and prepare for it; to get sponsorships and delegations; to bring along all the women they have already been working with in their own union; and to be involved in the planning and preparation of the conference itself.

To get the ball rolling, there will be a first planning meeting, open to all readers and supporters, on Wed. October 14 at 7 pm at County Hall, near Waterloo. (Ask at the desk for room number).

If you can't make it to the meeting but want to know more about the conference or help to work for It, take leaflets, etc-, write in to 41 Ellington Street, London N7, and we'll contact you as soon as we know more details.

LAbOu WAMAN'C v/t vt!. | TUMMITOMAKE 5 МРАТНУ RICHT Poli NOT TO HAVE LA BOO M A JOB Batean St

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Socialisi Organiser, Thursday 8 October 1981 Page 12 _ettersThursday 8 Writeback

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against taking ina ideas and practice from other cultures

nology, its effects on women, and what if any-