Three WWC groups now exist on Tyneside: one in Newcastle, one in North Lyneside, and one at the neauquarters of the Department of Health and Social Security at Longbenton. The latter is one of the first workplace Charter groups in the country.
The Newcastle and North Tyneside WW groups are taking up a campaign for unionisation of women workers in the area. The campaign is based around four activities: (a) encouraging women not in unions to join them; (b) assisting women in unions to play a more active role in them; (c) campaigning for nursery provision to involve women at home as well as those already at work; (d) changing the attitudes of male trade unionThese Charter groups have distributed publicity materia for the campaign to several trade unions and trades councus They have also participated in two successful demonstrations organised by a local Nursery Action Group, which pres One of the crucial features of the WWC is its recognition of ented petitions to the Education Committee and the socia services Committ tee for inore nurseries.
The nursery campaign is being taken up by Tyneside Action Committee Against the Cuts, which is sending a questionnaire to candidates in the local council elections in May. The questionnaire asks them what they will do to fight the cuts. The results will be published before the elections.
On May Day Newcastle Trades Coun cil is holding a demonstration against the cuts and unemployment. The WWCC will have a contingent on this demonstration to explai tar tie real to work must include the right to work for women, and also that the cuts in housing, education and social services are hitting women particularly hard. This means that the trade union movement must mvoive women. whewer mey work oursee ormisce ure nome. in the fight against the cuts and unemployment. tors and trade unionists as well as Tessa wan Gelderen trom me workino wo men's Charter Campaign. Many stressed the need for the TUC and Labour leader to act on the successful conference resolutions supporting "free abortion on request. As Maggie Hunt, T&GWU shop steward and secretary of Eastbourne Trades Council, pointed out, 'their time for procrastination is ended.
in a speaker trom the bangladesh vo men's Association and messages from the US Socialist Workers Party and women involved in abortion struggles in Portugal and India.
The WW group at the DHSS headquarters is taking up a campaign for a nursery on site and is also supporting a campaign for a nursery on the Longbenton council estate. It is also taking up discrimination against women in terms o1 Domoron. 8,500 clerical workers at Longbenton are women, organised in the CPSA (Civil and Public Services Association). A WWC group in a large workplace like the DHSS is an excellent way to take the campaign forward, as it gets the trade unions directly involved and means that the group has to relate to the daytoday prootems conronung women WOrKers Kate Lane it was discovered that she was a lesbian. Similarly, student