Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

[in *Call a local Fightback meeting specifically planning…]

Socialist Organiser no. 73, 18 February 1982 · scan p. 6 · about 721 words

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in *Call a local Fightback meeting specifically planning cams Migni to Work.

At this meeting draw up a list of every conceivable body who could be pushed to build the campaignfor example trade union branches, district/divisional committees, women' committees, shop stewards committees, trades councils and Regional TUCs, Labour Party branches, women's sections, YS branches, GMCs (Find out the date of your LP Regional Conference).

Women' groups and campaigns. women's centres, nursery campaigns, anti-cuts campaigns, local strikes and disputes, unemployed groups and centres.

Try to organise to get round to talk to activists in the above personally to convince them to take an active part in the campaign, take leaflets for their organisations, push model resolutions and support any local activity (public meeting, dayschool, pickets, petitioning, etc).

Where you can't do a person:' visit, send a letter: giving local contact address for ordering leaflets, etc., inviting them to sponsor/ support your local meeting/ Use the public meeting o get together a mobilising ommittee for the demoit the very least circulate a ist to get the names of all hose attending. of redundancies, a confercalyaig.. lor a Woman's Right to Work, culminating in a demonstration on June There will be discussion of ways to publicise the fact that the brunt of unemployment falls upon women - who figure high in the statistics of registered unemployed, and whose real percentage of unemployment is concealed by the fact that most unemployed married women are not eligible for benfits and do not register.

But at the same time In each case the struggle continuing hetravals hv the vAAT official union leaderships. Lee Jeans women were forced to organise their own campaign for blacking action by dockers and transport workers, and had to secure official support for their action.

At Longworth and St. Mary's too the work-in action drew substantial local support-but complete inaction from the health unions on a national level. And in the Coventry strike NUPE leaders did everything to contain the political issues involved.

Tories, while offering not the sligntest lead or perspective to women faced with cuts and closures.

Then, as more jobs are lost, the officials turn round and blame the women members, claiming they are not prepared to fight!

A fight against women's unemployment, for the right to work for every man and woman, must mean a political struggle against such misleaders within the labour movement. This requires a programme of action that can defend existing jobs, as a basis for *Action on jobs. We must organise for pations to prevent closures from taking place. and demand throughout the labour movement the necessary levies, blacking and strike action to support the occupation.

Every redundancy should be fought, by giving women confidence to refuse to take an extra workload and face direct confrontation with the employer, demanding work sharing on full pay. We should never believe the employers' word, demanding like Lee Jeans, to see the accounts for ourselves, and get the unions to organise a thorough investigation of al Child Care Campaign to defend and extend provision.

*Unionisation. More and more women are joining unions, many like the Chix women fighting tough battles for union recognition. All these struggles must be supported. Many women feel excluded from union decisions. Demand meetings be held in working hours or that adequate childcare or creche facilities are laid on for every meeting. Fight for positive discrimination linked to the struggle for democracy and accountability for women to be represented on every union body. Fight sexism in union procedures and publications. rig THERE has still been no news on whether Peter Huntingford and a number of other doctors will face prosecution for their refusal to submit to new backdoor restrictions On abortion rights.

They have refused to specify a medical reason for abortion as required by new forms issued last March by the DHSS.

They point instead to the provision under the 1967 Abortion Act for social grounds-under which, until recentiy, over 80% of abortions have taken place.

While they remain under threat the labour movement must rally to their defence.

So far we have heard that Oxford NUJ Branch have tabled an emergency motion to the Union's conference calling for TUC action to oppose any prosecutions.

Every union branch and Labour Party should be discussing similar motions until this threat is beaten back.

← Contents of Socialist Organiser no. 73

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