delegates to the conference.
ERBA and R.
J.
Italian section LCR.
Anne Spencer I OPTED to attend the *Salaried or Wage-earning Women workshoo. it was very interesting to see that problems were very much the same whether their national was rightwing, left-wing sullie other wing.
In Italy for instance women were being lorcea back into the home, they for the jobs they did, and women WRO paol Salace progress were often masculine, taking on many of the worst traits of The themes ot this SESSIOn was that 'part-time work was partLillic unemployment led to reduced pay, reduced bargaining power and that according some people, the unions were appy with this situatior The question was rai ed bv one trade union official as to whether part-time work would be a bro blem if they got full-time salaries. but there was no real answer to this.
Une or tne major questions arising from this session was. could women defend the progress that they had made to date. Was the way forward co-management, with more flexibility and a changed social structure, or was it by Ine union methods of negotiaTOn. bul mere wasn l a real answer to this quesBelow we print the impressions of some of the ANNE SPENCER, an official of the Tailor and Garment Workers Union, was one of the three British women who attended. CARBONI are members of the of the Fourth International, the tion.
A report from Fiat was interesting, where they spoke the growth of women's employment during. The recent economic period, but that given the recession, necause women were last in they been out. this had set back wonen alonz way l larv The picture all counties.
even from Australia, was one of women experiencing difficulties in employment, of women being sacked and of losing any that they had made. Jobs were difficult to find, and the attitude of governments did not support women.
Urgent It was concluded that there was an urgent need to reduce the working day, although this not unanimous, and that this reduction working day should be without loss of earnings.
We ended up debating wherner fact, given economic recession, keep our heads down to maintain wnal we nave In order live fight another dav. or whether in fact progress be made during the time of recession.
Many felt that given that lack of protection in collective bargaining, little moment. Very often trade unions are not saying all women's needs both at work and in the home. One of the few speakers not to speak against part-time work pointed out that in fact in a period like this it did help wonen relain their skill.
If women don't work at all then by the time the end of the recession collles, re-structuring will have done away with their jobs altogether lopment ly with the development new technology.
D. Erba and R. Carboni CLEAR PICTURE emerged despite the different political situations:
• there is a generalised attack employment, which most severely attacks the weakest part. of the workforce: women, • there is an increase in part-time work under dif ferent forms (eg the 'free Wedensdays' remaining at home but on Cal dermany spread In job sharing schemes. or as in the com. mercial sector in Italy working oniy those days of the week or times of the when demand ycal heavy), • the spreading concept of the 'family wage' through increasing dependents' allowances unemployment benefits or favouring job 'heads of families'.
In Italy there is a severe attack the inflationindexing of wages workers wages in general. Government decrees have increased allowances dependents. The unions and political parPluto Press, £4.95.
ties have agreed to this trade-off. There al c similar developments in Spain.
At the same time there propaganda cam*re-value priyate tamily lite. part-time work is often put forward means women reconciling their role mother/homemaker and worker.
Again, on a European-wide level there are cuts in pubic spending, will oVious consequences where many women are employed.
This puts pressure on return to the family and drop out of the work force alive social involvement.
Another common feature came out in looking at how the trade union leaderships respond to the effect of the crisis. They base their perspectives on Photograph by Michael Ann Mullen from a new book on photography Committing Photography by Su Braden, what is "possible', , what is compatible with the capitalist system.
The of the CASICILO economic crisis was the basis for the proposals by some participants, particularly some trade union accept the crisis as a given fact, which cannol be changea by le present relationship of ciass forces The same basic facts were used to argue for : different approach. That now is the time to rebuild the women's movement as ting with the groupings of women that already exist to try broaden the struggle involve layers of women.
Accusations that this approach was 'out of date and not oriented towards developing 'new theories' which movement should base its discussions on productive domestic the division of family and the role of childbearCallic Italian intellectuals trade union officials, who probably feel the InOS threatened by the dynamic that a strong independent active women's movement would create.
For us the most significant proposal to come . out of the Coll ference was to launch an international campaign on slogan •Women against the Crisis' This proposal came several Belgian women who have been involved in the Belgian women's campaigr 'Femmes contre la crise' over ine last three vears The main themes of the campaign agreed at Turin • defence of Workers at Grunwick had to fight for TUC support — through a hunger strike right work economic independence • opposition to mental employers policies which discriminate against particulary affect women • opposition to part-time work, for a shorter work. ing week with no loss of pay.
The proposed activities for this campaign were to hold san Tribunal March 1984 on all forms of Belgium sexual discrimination wone conrom a work and later a European-wide women's demonstration secretariat for this campaign has been established in Brussels as an international reference point. A Women against the Crisis' organising comalready been formed in Turin involving were at the
----- pull-quotes -----
TLIC COLLABORATION NEGOTATON INCORPO