[Men's movement that fails to break from the…]

Scan page 6

Men's movement that fails to break from the political parties of big business and turn towards the labour movement is vividly illustrated by the recent conference of the American National Organisation of Women (NOW).

The conference, at the beginning of October, attracted over 3,000 delegates and observers: but the outcome of three days of discussions was the re-election of a right wing leadership and a commitment to raise 83 million to support campaigns for the election of Democratic Party candidates.

A mere handful of trade unionists and little over one per cent of black and Latin women participated in the conference, whose platform was dominated by well-heeled business and professional 16 23 2 17 24 3 10 25 4 11.18 5 12 : 20 27 6 13 president Eleanor Smeal and her successor Judith Goldsmith was that the only way to defeat the attacks on women's rights unleashed by, Reagan and the right wing was through electing 'progressive' capitalist politicians.

In accordance with this, the platform sought and secured a mandate to engage in realistic' wheeling and dealing with candidates who may not even agree with NOW policies, and fought off most attempts to commit the NOW to any form of active Their political hostility to the American workers' movement was demonstrated by the fact there was not even a featured Democrat trade union speaker, and NOTTINGHAM Socialist Organiser meets every Friday 7.30pm at the International Community Centre, 61B Mansfield Rd.

NORTH-WEST London Socialist Organiser group discussion meetings. every other Sunday, 8pm (for venue, see SO sellers).

And the platform struggled with considerable success to avoid any commitment to mobilise in solidarity with black and racial minority women.

Support for an anti Ku Klux Klan demonstration was voted down, and only against the vehement opposition of the leadership was a resolution carried which instructed them to establish their first full-time administrative post for a racial minority member.

And a resolution calling for a demonstration against the attack on abortion rights was manoeuvred out by the moving of an anodyne substitute which set its sights on the 1984 elections.

The conference as a whole ably demonstrated 3pm at Thornhill Neighbourhood Project, Orkney House, Caledonian Rd. Next meeting November 14. Details. Nik, 607 5268.

GAYS in Education conference: 'Homosexuality in the curriculum'. Saturday and Sunday November 13-14 1982, 11am to 5.30, Health Education Centre, 304 West"We are suffering blows because the Democratic and Republican parties are opposed to our rights. As long as we give money to candidates running in those parties, we are just spending money to defeat ourselves"

That certainly sums up the political content of a bourgeois women's movement such as NOW.

The struggle for women's rights, a struggle against the divisive and oppressive 'norms' and values upheld and reinforced by the capitalist class and its state apparatus, can succeed only as a struggle which bases itself on the forces opposed to capitalism - the working class and the labour movement.

(Information from The Militant, paper of the US SWP).

Speakers: Rodney Bickerstaffe, Jim Stevenson, Charlie Turnock, Arthur Scargill, Ray Buckton, Tony Benn (invited).

SUPPORT POLISH Workers Leicester Trades Council meeting, Wednesday Novem. ber 10, 7.30 at the Princess Charlotte'. Speaker from Solidarity TU Working Group.

HARINGEY Labour Party Young Socialists public meeting: Solidarity with the people of Central America. Monday November 15, 7.30 at Brabant Road TU and Community Centre.

SOCIALIST Students in NOLS meeting: Saturday November 13, 11ai to 5.30, JLU, Malet St, London. Details from Jane Ashworth, 41 Ellington St, London N7. ANTI-APARTHED Trade Unionists' conference. Saturday November 27, details from AAM, 89 Charlotte St, London WCI.

FROM WAR in the Third World to World War 3? Dayschool, Saturday December 11, llam, at Hargrave Hall, Margrave • Road, London N19, sponsored by CND, EISSOC, CAAT.

strikers organising the pickets.

Representatives of the strikers spoke to a TGWU Broad Left meeting in Birmingham last Saturday, and made contact with TGWU members from the Sandhar and Kang cash and carry warehouse, who are also on strike.

Unfortunately the TGWU has not offered much official support yet. Even though the strike is official, the strikers have yet to receive any money or supporting action from their union.

Despite the support from Labour Party members, a Labour councillor, Satwam Singh Moham, has put out a joint statement with several Indian employers, supporting the factory owners.

But the strikers remain determined to stand firm.

REPRESSION in Northern Ireland: day school organised ittee on Ireland, Saturday November 13, 10.30am to 5pm, Queen Margaret Union Building, Glasgow University. Speakers - Dennis Canavan MP, Vince Mills, Derry TC member - plus workshops. Admission £1, 50p unwaged. LONDON Workers' Socialist League educationals on basic Marxism. Next one. 'Imperialism. Friday November 12, 7.30pm. For details of venue write to WSL, PO Box 135, London N1 ODD.

DISCUSS the 'degenerated revolution'. A day of debate and discussion about the new book from Workers' Power/Irish Workers' Group. Debates on: Is Russia a Workers' State? The Cuban Revolution and Castroism. The Theory of Structural Assimilation. Saturday November 13, 11am to 7pm, Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham. Tickets £1 waged, 50p unwaged.

SPARTACIST Truth Kit - a 68-page analysis by John Lister, published by the Workers' Socialist League. El plus 25p postage from. WOT DO Deu 126 Tandon N1 ODD. POW YEAN came to England in 1979 to look after her ailing parents in Leeds. She has lived here since then, and her parents still need her help, due to inadequate state provision.

In April, ber sister Pow Shien Leong won her fight to allow her son, Chun Hee, to live with her in England. Now the Home Office have decided to retaliate and deport Pow Yean..

Nowhere

Pow Yean has nowhere to return to in Malaysia. She was adopted as a baby Su Rates: £5 for three nonths, £8.75 for ix months, and £16 or a year.

Bundle of five

sach week: £12 for three months.

Bundle of 10: £21 for three months.

Name..

Address I endose £.

To: Socialist Organisor, 28 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL. and does not know r vho her natural parents ar e. She did not even know s he was adopted till the Home Office told her.

The Home Office case is that she is not the legally adopted daughter. They also say they are not satisfied that she meets the requirements for permanent residence in this country.

Pow Yean has appealed against the decision and this will provide the time for us to build up her defence campaign. • Pow Yean Leong Defence Committee, Box L, 59 Cookbridge St, Leeds 2.

----- pull-quotes -----

7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29