redistributing wealth between labour and canita: but in our view it is the appropriate context in which that aim.
argument is.
being paid for through the abolition of the married man's tax allowance or CUVa principle that they constitute a collecauthorities are not outlandish as the World War and still exist in some areas - although too few to change habits of domestic work.
women should be recognised, this is merely a step on the road towards their colectivisation and the release women's right to work SUCH CHOICES as outlined above can only really become a reality by ensuring the economic independence of this meafs enshrining in law and in practice the right of women to go out to work.
In addition, supplementary availability tests recently TeDOTL.
the existing cake.
through this Breaking down the division of collective bargaining — tundamentallv labour market are to change.
Ter and matten guaranteed minimum income for all women has measures to be ensured. This would mean getting rid of the cohabitation rules on benefit is utopian. including those introduced by the Rayner Again this policy would have to be control linked into demands for a wealtn tax — but no policies for women can be effective on the basis of sharing out The notion or ine family wage has to be challenged mechanism through establishing women's absolute right to work on the same terms as men. homosexuality.
labour between men and women ciple of A FIRST step toward this would be the introduction of positive action for all programmes at work and in training. control. But this should not be geared towards enhancing the opportunity of inclass action and quotas for women in certain jobs and industries to break fought for in the unions both through LarOUe! al cas Will car io be orer. come through the combination of described above. Persuading individual men to take more responsibility outside this framework Right to choose and fertility upon ANY FORM of cercion in sexual relationships must be eradicated from law and custom, whether this be ex. pressed through lack of contraception and abortion facilities; through the age of consent laws or laws against Abolition of such restrictive laws should go hand in hand with the prin.
mandatory provision of contraceptive and abortion facilities Wages under local community At the same time violence against women and children must be tackled, not through strengthening the forces of the state, but through self-defence being taught in schools, through expansion of battered wives refuges, through community control of police operations and through rape crisis centres being established in all This programme of democratic and partial demands will not resclve the problem o: 307 :0 :eu5e T-z: bes etere ses class and oppressed under the banner of Victorian values. Neither does it provide an answer to the social and economic crisis that is the context for the crisis of the family. A socialist programme is needed to put the cost of the crisis where it belongs — on the bosses. But it Ts only if we start to take up the measures outlined that women.
whose subordination Thatcher's plans for the family rest, can be mobilised A fight by the movement around these policies will begin the process of winning women who have the most to lose from Thatcher's plans into a mighty force against them.
References 1 Families in the Future. Final report ol uc uy comssor oo me romy January 1983 2 House of Commons Hansard. 8 December 1982 4 PreSSter ine iFate The Subversive Family. F. Mount.
Macmillan 1982 8 Quoted in Sweet Freedom. A . Coote and B Campbell. Picador. 1983 9 ir Wharis to te done ba "fr
Socialist Action 20 May 1983