I don't think you can discount the influence of the women's movement on unions, they've been making slow but steadv progress for women's equality. And you can't discount a lot of the groundwork which the women's liberation movement in the sense of bringing equality for women to the notice of people.
Possibly most women in the mining communities mav not have related to that kind of movement because they didn't think it affected them, and they didn't think that kind of woman was what they were. Now they've had their eyes opened.
in the trade can blossom '60s laid, in the housework. denis much mike positive.
it now.
You can't discount all that, but this movement of the miners' wives, for the first time, has brought a lot of working class women out of their homes and given them a look at a wider world. It's give blossom into that world which is into that world which much more than just the family and the This kind of activity they've been Because thinking, when their husbands have gone back to work and they're already coming up against are stuck there in the home with their children, they'll now be thinking why don't we have more nursery schools and more creches so that I can have a life as well?
Some of them know, will be thinking a lot more about whether they need to be in a trade union or not. Now they'll attach more imporI don't think a lot of women have involved themselves in the peace move ment.
movements in their own villages A lot of women will now branch out in a lot more they've ever done before. Very few will be happy to return to the kitchen sink although inevitably some of them are going to end up that way. Now the men are back to work it's quite a different story coming out to meetings, gadding off to a foreign and leaving the pots and the washing all Hach and everv one of the women will have their own personal problem to sort out within their own families — to be able to take the role they've been taking for the last year and even exten. ding that role. But I'm sure they'll be successful.
Women Against Pit Closures organised a sucessful International Women's Day event in Chesterfield recently work who have jobs, for so long.
victory.
We've got women in this area «nace on different ways than Anyone deny that they them country they Socialist Action 29 March 1985 of friendships and solidarity that we have created with the trade union and labour movement, the peace movement and other women in struggle.
vast number of organisations who are in touch with each other now and find that the strug are the same: rate-capping and abolition of the metropolitan councils, the fight of ethnic minorities. We're And we've spread our net to almost every country in the world. This net quite unique. That marvellous victory The leadership of the NUM was united in the strike. That is perhaps why the majority of miners stayed out They knew they had leaders who were intending to lead them to a While we got a luke-warm reception from some of the leaders of the labour tainly can't say that about the rank and All these are victories.
who watched films miners returning to work could not were still united. They have such dignity, and such pride in the trade union that has been fighting fo No matter what kind of victory the Coal Board or the government think might have gained, they'll find they have another thing coming.
Socialist Action 29 March 1985