mise an ALEW turn-out for the mase picket on the second day of negotiations. The faet that on the day few AEU contingents were to be seen is a sign that the weight of the worden is still very slight as compared lo any other strike of engineers in a central section of the AUEW's base.
This will be a pattern in strikes of this rature unless the trade union movement is alerted to the consequences of ignoring the struggles of women workers. At the same time, because the unions are slow to act on questions of oqual pay. conditions of work, and the involvement of women in union structures, it is much more possible to lift them out of the control of the har The meeting, called by the (WWCC, agreed to raise support for the strikers in trade union branches and women's groups, as well as to. organise a picket this Thursdav at the head office of one of the companies involved.
Liz Kight, who is active it the Hackney WWCC, puttined the nature of the Charter and the development of the campsien VITAL STEP Originally presentod by the London Trades Council in March this year, the Charter raises the ismes of women's economic exploitation and social oppres sion as a vital step towardsa programme of struggle in relation to women workers.
The Charler has so far been adopted by I8 trades councils, many of which ure now netively organising around it, and by branches of at least tweive unions Nurses Pam Denard and Sue Spiling spoke about the health workers' struggle, highlighting the problems that have arisen in mobilising nurses, the majority of whom do not belong to a union. They Working Women's Charter Campaign, Opering the meeting NUT member Class women and men.
pay people confirmed the value of the WWCE hoth to discuss.
in raving demands necessary to enable women to strugale, and in mobilising support from other workers Lawyer Tow Gill explained the pro visions of the Labour Goverment's proposed Anti Discrimination HaL While no-one at the inecting consiered that Las bemsabon would sucqusteh dea with women's oppression since it in no way challenges the matorial basis of that oppression it will succeed in raising this Issue among broad sections of working With a general election searing up, the Charter can be used as a ceans of exposing the icadequacies of the Bill, and a ibeans of organising to ensure that its provisions Most importantly, the meeting unani mously passed a resolurion supporting the four weeks al Saltord Electrical Instruments, purt of the GEC combine, the women strikers at Wingrove and Rogers, Liverpool: and at Vaushail in Luton The resolution sed in part: "We rocog rose that tlese sistors provide an example both ka all women workers trying to cope with the moblerns of inflation and for all question for the projected conference JANICE MILLS trades unionists challenging the social Apurt from a message of solidarity to the strikers, and a collection of E80. the tooting undertook to put forward resolutons of support from trade union branches and wamen's groups, and where possible to organise local meetings for speakers HUEULICNEREC COMMIEELEES The meering aise voted to hold a picker of GEC' head office in Stanhope Gardens. London, W3, 19 Sepsember from 4.30 to 7.30 pm The Mist-ever Working Women s Charter Campaign delegare conference as to be beid in London on Sardar. 26 October, It is extremely inporiant for the secess of the campaign that detentes alrend from as zheny trade stion branches, trades councils, and women s aroups which are taking up the charter. Createntials from: WICC, 30 Alwire Road. Herwel, London W7 PAT MASTERS
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the demand for social facilities for This is the central political