labour movement as a whole.
But this is not enough.
ting Thatcher and realism'.
strategy that's THE BASIC problems can be stated simply. Thatcher took advantage from the tremendous divisions within the working created by the incomes policies the last government.
Wage controls, and their associated policies, very severely hit the better off sections of the types ing the types workers concentrated in the South and South East of England, skilled workers throughout the country.
The result was the pattern seen al lue last elections. The polls showing the Tories actually leading skilled long. I'm only change the the of comment of mounting whistles.
up the the history the great British movement.
SHOSI those six places Every prising sexual of the the cameras conmany can spot!
up. 29 per That's no TỨC for Genate specifically the platitudinous The fundamental lack of any JUDE WOODmanual a huge east, 'north-south' ween the Tories.
the Tories the base of the Only designed to the ing of differentials council called between the Tories' discussion that's dispute the whole history of British this year to prevent protesting for Greenham when protest across Europe the tain as men.
Put best by Mick women involved in the miners' then the the women see power for right of the they as "separatist'. But it's the organisation. only parThe TUC working class.
The economic basis for the entire social alliance is not to revenue British but to investment Tacl conOut of this the alice reflected in tuates.
Ine have half strategy.
the SDPAs pean capital the EEC partner of supposedly sections CONC etc. would, in mean abandoning every progressive held by even 21101 for the willll Spot the woman at the TUC adopted positive action for jobs, but doesn't campaign for it. The question of a Statutory Minimun Wage was the subject of a twenty year fight, finally resolved TUC. But this year the onIv mention of it is in amendment submitted by the Tailor and Garment This year there is no mention of abortion, homeworking or the rights of part-time workers. Nothing on child benefit, nursery provision maternity leave.
all, nothing refers to the massive explosion and radicalisation of women that has taken place over the last few years, especially around the miners' strike.
Yet in failing to get to grips with any of these issues the TUC not only fails women, it deepens its own problems. One of the major concerns of the trade unionists support the miners strike today.
and trade unions is that it has no Sarategy of confronting either Thatcher's social alliance or that proposed by the realism'.
The left can win individual major struggles.
Jones finally did smash Heath's Industrial Relations Act - - and finally his government. In principle, though with much difficulty, the 'lefts' can produce enougt solidarity win membership by the has go IlLO maintain rebuild Today male antonusco These al c Firstly indicate the movement.
of women who unions, be Tens of thousands of activists, hundreds of thousands of although this cannot at all be considered certain. Even government could be defeated But the problem what is Thatcherism to be replaced with? The old high point of the Labour left's struggle — - the policy government with a social followed But that policy ons.
that policy, Callaghan government, take the unions seriously, and any recruitment camdirected wouid have a solid base to work from Secondly, women. today constitute about per cent or lnose i work at any particular point (around million). This Inof nearly • 120 per cent in the proportion of since 1951. Limited While the public sector unions especially NUPE, COHSE, NALGO and the CPSA - have had some success in building up their female membership, it remains The potential for the of workers remains largely untapped (from the point of view of the unions) and ignored (from the point of of more precisely because of that disaster, such a polic cannot even be projected today as credible.
there today the elements of a totally different course for Labour. A national minimum wage local affect working and unfight for women;
black elimination budget;
the means the ment.
cities the country.
But So these not tied in coherent widely women workers themselves.
course the unions argue that a very high proportion of women workers part-time homeworkers who cannol be unionised in the short term without major strug gles. But, quite apart fron the fact that should seriously take this campaign on board, this does not even account for the majority of the 6.5 work millon worner who are not in unions.
But such a campaign to recruit women would de mand fundamental reorientation by the unions. The majority of women will remain outside the unions as loe men y appear men's organisations with all men on the TUC General Council, with no serious for the demands of women and the low paid. As long as women who do speak wolf-whistle simple "The allance.
even more under • condiToday capitalism means million the Any increase DeLe is. matter what effects of time capitalist the choice: break the CADIO! itself. the final of Stens workers, supporting of defeating and sexist comments.
Women wai: forever for the leadership of the TUC :o the initiative Bu:
LaKe women not jus:
Walle The miners' wives have shown dramatically women car make presence felt in the labou movement. The NUM i 100 per cent male tu:
women fought NUM had to let them in on the organisation the including at a national level Now the TUC is going to have to learn the same lesson. It confronts a clear choice, further narrowing of its hase as it looks to deals with Thatcher or the campaign to draw more centrally into the labour movement on the basis of policies thai meet their needs.
nearly double the size of the trade union army
Socialist Action 31 August 1984 IN BOTH THE 1972 and 1974 miners* strikes the Heath
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THE MOST urgent task at this year's TUC Congress is to give the support which can win the miners' strike. Without this there cannot be a serious discussion about strategy for the
strategic weakness remains the policy for the trade union and Labour lett to put together a popular majority capable of confron-
Women won't wait