Day of Action

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Harrogate is not exactly a hot-bed of labour movement direct action. But with 300 of our 16 and 17 year old school leavers passing along the YTS conveyor belt, some campaigning was obviously needed:

The local college staged events on the NUS National YTS Day of Action, but by all accounts it was a flop.

When the issue of compulsion on YTS was first raised, a few months back, Harrogate YS stepped into the gap the students union had left. We're pretty good at spending money but not very good at raising it so our first call in the local campaign was Harrogate Labour Party's Geriral Committee.

We touched them for some cash and then asked a local County Councillor who had already established a good record at the Trades Council if he would speak at a public meeting.

The meeting, entitled Youth Exploitation has got to Stop', week • aer our which will be a picket of Harrogate Job Centre.

Leaflets, posters and a school bulletin are being produced. The school bulletin will comee out regularly with future issues on educations cuts and war.

Local trade unionists and Labour Party members are being invited to' the events. We aim to have a YS Action Group based on the local labour movement and YTS youth set up in the next few weeks.

Theo Where af'we stand Te Socialist FORGANISER pencies!

Two pamphlets for 45p, including postage, from Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

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- Fightback conference• Women against the cuts Birmingham school meals workers have been sacked by the council and told they can have their jobs back only at a lower wage. Above: at a NUPE Gerry Byrne of the Women's Fightback editorial board spoke to Socialist Organiser about the conference on women and local government cuts planned by Women's Fightback for June 23.

Why call it now?

The situation is urgent.

The government wants to push through both the ratecapping and abolition Bills this session. Already there are lots of moves to organise against them — but none addressed specifically to rank and file women.

We must aim firstly, to attempt to make it too costly for the Tories to push ahead with the Bills; secondly, if they are passed, to block their implementation by industrial action backed by mass support in the community.

Why a women's conference?

It's become almost a truism to say that women will be worst affected - by almost They've attempted similar work for ethnic minorities.

The abolition proposals must be seen as conscious political attack on the ideas and self organisation of women's liberation. Any campaign for its defence must take on responsibility to counter-attack in defence of black, lesbian and disabled women.

Who is it for?

We want it to be a rank and file conference of women from the unions, Labour Party, tenants' • community and women's groups.

We want to cooperate with, and obviously welcome support from the official campaigns, especially the women's committees, but we're trying to do something separate.

The official campaigns are tied to a non-(Party) political approach. This has sometimes meant putting more emphasis on persuading Tory Lords and businessmen than organising the labour movement rank and file. - ' This is less true of the meeting. Socialist Organiser no.170 March 15 1984

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How to fight the Tories