Unemployed Movement WORK formed

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Hamlets have made a special* ing them and supporting the effort and • reported that BL workers in their struggle afternoon classes in how the against Edwardes' sacking benefit system works had threat.

ÜWM has to make a point of notice that the unemployed trying to go to where won't be hived off into a unwaged women are- nicely structured file in TUC mother and toddler groups, HQ, but will link up with community centres, laun- employed workers at the drettes and shopping centres. rank and file to fight And all groups should closures and campaign for A National Unemployed Workers' Movement was established at a conference in London last weekby almost 200 people from 40 different unemployed groups. JO THWAITES reports.

ON THE first day the trade union workshop was the biggest.

In many places the unemployed groups have been set up with the help of the local Trades Council, and have received money and support from trade union branches. Many groups also had representation on their Trades Council, though not always with a vote.

The workshop opted for the name 'movement' rather than 'union' after activists from Liverpool described the experience of the old Triumph Speke TGWU branch (6/612), which has continued after the workplace was closed down.

The Shotton ISTC branch has done the same.

Such union branches must be brought into the unemployed movement. not ended or cu! 31et:3 •52 01e02: 58: 32 :300Strict *e are % sirict that the taxes are no longer run =: unemployed themthEs Tomer Hamlets delegates erried that they had wouble getting representa=aa oi women unemployed, mie the Management Committee was so stacked out with councillors and trade anion bureaucrats.

Change

Many local groups don't have very many women involved, and the workshop on women discussed how to hange this.

Women from Tower proved very successful. The provide creche facilities.

A charter for unemployed and unwaged women drafted by the previous day's women's conference was approved by the workshop with a few amendments added, including support for the campaign by the Action Committee for a Woman's Right to Work for a national demonstration on the issue.

Condemned

Rachel Lever from the Action Committee addressed the full conference so the discusson wasn't just dated o thes women at =1:52: -•+2 *240schri 166 High Halter Liste Region The conference adopted a constitution and elected a National Co-ordinating Committee of 15 members with provision: for additional representatives from each region.

Many unemployed groups are active in supporting employed workers' fights to maintain their jobs. Edinburgh Unemployed Association took the opportunity to visit the Staffa workers in East London, and conterence passed resolutions backThis conference gave the right to work.

WO MANY WOMEN who are unemployed or unwaged don't go anywhere near the dole offices.

Single women with kids don't have to sigo on. Il.Tied women don't 7250= because the! Fix: pe: a=] Desefi ansd istiphted siese TERT DETE:TES DINETTES SARGE D SI GET ET IT FILI A aureli rube" a or unemplored centres.

This was one of the problems that a meeting organised by women from Islington and Southwark unemployed action groups tackled on the day before the national unemployed workers' movement conference.

We also discussed charter for unemployed and unwaged women, which commits the unemployed workers' movement to recognising that women are oppressed in all areas of society.

It calls Joan Lee the An confi enc

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end (31 October/ 1 November), attended